Zazai, Ghani punish sloppy Tigers

An unbeaten fifty from Hazratullah Zazai and Usman Ghani's 47-run knock, aided by multiple dropped catches, saw Afghanistan crush Bangladesh by eight wickets in the second and final T20I at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today. 

With this win, Afghanistan bounced back to draw the two-match series 1-1. 

Zazai (59 off 45) and Ghani strung together a 99-run second-wicket stand to help Afghanistan chase down a paltry target of 116 runs with 14 deliveries to spare. 

Zazai and Ghani, however, were enabled by sloppy Tigers in the outfield. As many as three catches were dropped at crucial junctures of the game. 

In the very first over of Afghanistan's innings, Zazai, yet to open his account, was dropped by Nasum Ahmed off his own bowling. 

Afghanistan lost opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz to Mahedi Hasan in the following over. But then the visitors went on to regroup and were eventually set on course for victory through a daunting partnership between Zazai and Ghani. 

Bangladesh bowlers, however, had made scoring runs a bit difficult at one point of the innings but the Afghan duo survived through that period, albeit not without a few close calls.

But with not much scoreboard pressure, Afghanistan always had the upper hand in the game. 

And if there was any kind of pressure piling up on the visitors, it was shrugged off when Zazai struck Shakib for two consecutive sixes in the ninth over. Ghani followed it up with two back-to-back boundaries off Shoriful Islam in the next over.

Ghani was dropped twice in the middle -- on 39 and 41 by Afif Hossain and Naim Sheikh respectively and both off Mahedi's delivery at deep square leg. 

Ghani was finally picked up by Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah Riyad in the 16th over but that could not alter the inevitable. 

Earlier, Bangladesh put on a disappointing batting display, with the highest score in the team coming from Mushfiqur Rahim (30 off 25) who played his 100th T20I, to post a meagre 115 for nine. 
 

Afghanistan on course for victory

Despite losing an early wicket, Afghanistan regrouped and are cruising towards victory in their second T20I against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today. 

Opener Hazratullah Zazai and Usman Ghani are going strong, already adding 60 runs in their second-wicket stand, as Afghanistan are nearing a paltry 116-run target set by Bangladesh. 

Bangladesh bowlers had made scoring runs a bit difficult at one point of the innings but the Afghan duo survived through that period, albeit not without a few close calls. One Shakib Al Hasan delivery had gone through the gap between bat and pad of Zazai but somehow missed the stumps. 

Before that, Nasum Ahmed almost had Ghani trapped in front, only for the umpire to turn it down. And even though the review later showed the ball would have gone to edge the stumps, the on-field decision stayed. 

But Afghanistan shrugged off the pressure when Zazai struck Shakib for two consecutive sixes in the ninth over. Ghani followed it up with two back-to-back boundaries off Shoriful Islam in the next over. 
 

Bangladesh off-spinner Mahedi Hasan celebrates taking a wicket with teammates. Photo: Firoz Ahmed

Mahedi strikes early

Off-spinner Mahedi Hasan gave Bangladesh an early breakthrough in their second and final T20I against Afghanistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today. 

In the second over, Afghan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz came down the track trying to clear the inner circle with a big heave but only managed to top-edge one to Mahmudullah Riyad who had to run towards the cover region to take the catch. 

Bangladesh, however, could have gotten another wicket. In the very first over of the game, Hazratullah Zazai was dropped by Nasum Ahmed off his own bowling. 

Zazai knelt down to sweep Nasum, the hero of the last game, but the ball went up in the air after getting a top edge off the batter's willow. Nasum, however, could not hold on to it.