7.35pm Well, what can you say there. Bangladesh looked on course for a score upwards of 250 when Hridoy (56) and Mehidy (60) put on a 101-run stand. But they slid from 154 for 3 to 221 all out, courtesy Rashid's web of spin and Omarzai's consistent bowling. Afghanistan favourites I reckon at the half way stage. Shoutout also to Kharote for his 1 for 32 in ten overs.

Rashid: Super proud. Nine years of playing and 200 wickets is a good achievement. Will hope to continue that for Afghanistan. We haven't played much of ODIs in those years but happy and proud. The wicket was spinning. When the lights were on, it was spinning more. It's still a good total. We need to play positively. We want the top order to give a good start and that will allow the middle order to wrap up the game. We have 300 balls to chase it."

AJ: "That was an innings from hell, especially from a Bangladeshi POV. Wasn't even engaging enough to serve as background noise for my office work, so I switched channels.

48.5
W
Ghazanfar to Tanvir Islam, OUT, easy for Ghazanfar. Drops the length. Keeps it wide outside off. Gets the ball to turn away. And Tanvir is stumed trying to come down the wicket. Bangladesh waste seven balls. They are bowled out for 221.

Tanvir Islam st †Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Ghazanfar 11 (6m 8b 1x4 1x6) SR: 137.5

48.4
6
Ghazanfar to Tanvir Islam, SIX, six more! Full, floaty ball on middle. Tanvir moves to the off side, exposing his leg stump, and then launches a biggie over deep midwicket!
48.3
4
Ghazanfar to Tanvir Islam, FOUR, full outside off. Dances down the track and thumps it over the bowler's head!
48.2
0
Ghazanfar to Tanvir Islam, no run, length ball around off. Turning in. Misses the flick. Hits him on the body
48.1
0
Ghazanfar to Tanvir Islam, no run, around the stumps. Length ball outside off. Slow in the air. Misses the cut

END OF OVER:
48 | 6 Runs 1 Wkt | BAN: 211/9 | RR: 4.39

  • Taskin Ahmed4 (1b)
  • Tanvir Islam1 (3b)
  • Azmatullah Omarzai9-0-40-3
  • AM Ghazanfar9-1-45-1
47.6
4
Azmatullah Omarzai to Taskin Ahmed, FOUR, put away! Length ball around leg. Flicked gently, but the ball races past short fine leg lurking over there, and hey, that's a useful boundary!
47.5
1
Azmatullah Omarzai to Tanvir Islam, 1 run, full on off and flicked to deep midwicket
47.4
0
Azmatullah Omarzai to Tanvir Islam, no run, around the stumps. Back of a length. Fended to the off side
47.3
0
Azmatullah Omarzai to Tanvir Islam, no run, short of good length around off. Tapped to the off side
47.2
W
Azmatullah Omarzai to Tanzim Hasan Sakib, OUT, Omarzai with his third! He's been the pick of the bowlers today. Always bowling with a plan. This one's a back-of-a-length ball outside off. Tanzim flat-bats an attempted big shot but ends up lobbing it to long on

Tanzim Hasan Sakib c Mohammad Nabi b Azmatullah Omarzai 17 (29m 23b 0x4 1x6) SR: 73.91

sultan Aziz: "bashir Ahmad should be tested in the depth overs why is spinner bowling at this stage "

Wajahat: "bro, could've given me a shoutout as well as I also guessed correctly. could've needed that boost before my ICU specialization exam tomorrow.. while writing this down, why the hell am I here and not studying " -- good luck, mate!

47.1
0
Azmatullah Omarzai to Tanzim Hasan Sakib, no run,
47.1
1w
Azmatullah Omarzai to Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 1 wide, back of a length ball outside off stump. Tries to clatter it over the off side but misses

END OF OVER:
47 | 3 Runs 1 Wkt | BAN: 205/8 | RR: 4.36

  • Tanzim Hasan Sakib17 (21b)
  • AM Ghazanfar9-1-45-1
  • Azmatullah Omarzai8-0-34-2
46.6
W
Ghazanfar to Hasan Mahmud, OUT, easy one at point! Ghazanfar tosses it outside off. Ball turns away. Mahmud tries to slog it over the leg side. Toe-ended, and the ball pops up to the off side for a simple one

Hasan Mahmud c Ibrahim Zadran b Ghazanfar 5 (10m 9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 55.55

46.5
2
Ghazanfar to Hasan Mahmud, 2 runs, googly worked smartly into the gap at midwicket where nobody is present. Two more

Sajid: "Poor execution by Nurul! He had to survive that last over of Rashid, given he is in form batter (also the last recognized batter)! "

46.4
0
Ghazanfar to Hasan Mahmud, no run, wild swing of the bat. Full outside off. Turning away. Mahmud tries to tee off like a golfer but only gets air
46.3
0
Ghazanfar to Hasan Mahmud, no run, length ball on middle, and defended

In the last five years, the average first-innings total has been 276. Doubt Bangladesh are coming anywhere close to that. But can they creep up to 240?

46.2
0
Ghazanfar to Hasan Mahmud, no run,
46.1
1
Ghazanfar to Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 1 run, tucked away to the leg side for a single

END OF OVER:
46 | 5 Runs | BAN: 202/7 | RR: 4.39

  • Tanzim Hasan Sakib16 (20b)
  • Hasan Mahmud3 (4b)
  • Azmatullah Omarzai8-0-34-2
  • Rashid Khan10-0-38-3
45.6
1
Azmatullah Omarzai to Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 1 run, good length ball outside off and guided to deep backward point
45.5
1
Azmatullah Omarzai to Hasan Mahmud, 1 run, full outside off. Pace off. Tries to drive through the off side but it comes off the inside half to the leg side
45.4
1
Azmatullah Omarzai to Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 1 run, short and wide outside off. Drags a pull from way outside off for a single. Team 200!
45.3
1
Azmatullah Omarzai to Hasan Mahmud, 1 run, length ball angling in and clipped to deep square leg
45.2
1
Azmatullah Omarzai to Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 1 run, length ball angling in. Tries to play it uppishly over mid on but hits the splice of the bat and goes away towards mid off
45.1
0
Azmatullah Omarzai to Tanzim Hasan Sakib, no run, slower ball bouncer, nearly down the leg side. Not given wide

Some of you guessed Ashwin, but the correct answer to fastest spinner to 200 OD wickets is Pakistan's Saqlain Mushtaq. Well done Sayeed, Arshad, Ejaz, Tanim, Tawhid etc for getting that right quickly. Starc is the fastest overall.

Afghanistan 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st52Ibrahim ZadranRahmanullah Gurbaz
2nd6Rahmanullah GurbazSediqullah Atal
3rd78Rahmat ShahRahmanullah Gurbaz
4th0Hashmatullah ShahidiRahmanullah Gurbaz
5th59Hashmatullah ShahidiAzmatullah Omarzai
6th31Mohammad NabiHashmatullah Shahidi