Tigers qualify for Super 4 with massive win over Afghanistan

Bangladesh qualfied for the Super 4 of the ongoing Asia Cup with a huge 89-run win over Afghanistan at Lahore on Sunday. The Tigers rode on the twin tons from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Najmul Hossain Shanto and later on the pace bowling trio to seal the massive win in the must-win game.

After this win, Bangladesh are on +0.37 NRR while Afghanistan are on -1.78 NRR. Sri Lanka are currently on +0.951 NRR. If Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka in their final group game and overcome that run rate then Sri Lanka will be eliminated. Either way, it ensures Bangladesh's qualification for the Super 4 stage.

The fast-bowling trio of Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud shared eight wickets among themselves to ensure Bangladesh didn't lose control of the game after putting up a gigantic 334/5 in the first innings. Miraz picked up one wicket and the other one was a run out.

Taskinl was the star bowler bagging four wickets to peg Afghanistan back. He was instrumental in breaking the 78-run partnership for the second wicket. He then cleaned the tail to ensure the Tigers' massive win.

Shoriful bagged three wickets and he began the wicket fest by sending the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz (1) back to the pavilion in the second over. He later went on to bag the wickets of Hashmatullah Shahidi (51) and Gulbadin Naib (15).

Earlier, Miraz and Shanto bagged hundreds to propel Bangladesh to 334/5 after 50 overs.

This was the fifth time two Bangladeshi batters got hundreds in an ODI.

On a flat deck that didn't offer any bounce or swing, Afghanistan opening bowlers Fazalhaq Farooqi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman struggled initially for accuracy. Mohammad Naim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, promoted to open for the first time since the 2018 Asia Cup final, enjoyed themselves on a batting-friendly pitch. 

Farooqi was off-colour on a pitch that didn't offer swing and bowled a host of loose balls. Naim (28 off 32) smashed four boundaries off Farooqi. The southpaw looked set for his first big ODI score but had no answer to a brilliant googly from Mujeeb. Before getting dismissed, he added a run-a-ball 60 with Miraz.

Towhid Hridoy was surprisingly sent in at three but the youngster failed to bother the scorers as the ball went straight to slip as a result of a failed drive. Gulbadin Naib accounted for his wicket.

Bangladesh were in a spot of bother after losing two wickets even before Afghanistan's best bowler Rashid Khan came into the attack. 

The duo of Shanto and Miraz was calculative in approach as they didn't take much risk against the spin trio and attacked Farooqi and the two part-time seamers - Naib and Karim Janat. 

Miraz initially struggled to score freely off the spinners but a six off Mohammad Nabi in the 22nd over and a four off Rashid in the next over got him going. The right-hander got to his fifty off 67 deliveries.

Shanto looked the more fluent of the two as he continued his good work from the previous game. He was severe, particularly on Fazalhaq Farooqi as he hit the left-arm seamer for a cracking six to bring up his fifty.

They complemented each other pretty well too and frustrated the Afghanistan captain, so much so that he made five bowling changes in a space of nine overs at one stage. 

They upped the ante after the second drinks break and were well-placed at 231 for two at 40-over mark. 

Miraz's second fifty came off 48 balls as he anchored Bangladesh's innings with a 115-ball hundred. 

Miraz (112 off 119) hit a four and a six then before retiring hurt as he apparently suffered from cramps in his hands. Before walking off, he added 194 off 190 with Miraz for the third wicket.

Shanto (104 off 105) notched up his second ODI hundred soon after that. It came off 101 deliveries. But he was unfortunate to get run out as he slipped midway on the pitch in an attempt to take a single. 

Mushfiqur Rahim hit a boundary and a six each in his cameo of 25 off 15 before becoming the second batter of the day to get run out.

Shamim Hossain, in at six, hit a no-look six off Naib in his first-ever delivery in ODI cricket.