Gurbaz, Zadran tons see Tigers in need of record ODI chase
Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran scored centuries to help their side to 331 for nine in the second ODI of the three-match series against Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Saturday.
Bangladesh would need to set a new chasing record to win the game. The record chase for Bangladesh in ODIs was when the Tigers made 322 in chase of a 319-run target to win by six wickets against Scotland in the 2015 World Cup in Nelson, Australia.
Gurbaz piled on 145 runs off 125 balls, an innings that featured 13 fours and eight sixes, while Zadran put away nine fours and a solitary six for his 119-ball 100.
The duo delivered a hammering to the Bangladesh bowlers as they put on a 256-run opening stand, Afghanistan's highest-ever stand for any wicket, before the Tigers clawed back into the contest, taking wickets at regular intervals to restrict Afghanistan to 331.
Bangladesh brought themselves into the contest by taking three wickets in three overs starting with the dismissal of Gurbaz, who was trapped lbw by Shakib Al Hasan in the 37th over.
Ebadot Hossain and Mehedi Hasan Miraz got into the act in the next two overs, and that kickstarted a procession of wickets to fall as Bangladesh took the next six Afghan wickets for 65 runs.
Shakib, Mustafizur Rahman, Miraz, and Hasan Mahmud picked up two wickets each, while Ebadot, who limped off the field with an injury scare, scalped one.
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