The first ODI of the series, which was postponed due to weather, was played on Wednesday (July 5), when Afghanistan bowlers collectively held Bangladesh to 169/9 runs. TTowhid Hridoy, with his responsible 51 runs, delivered the lone standout performance in an innings where the hosts frequently lost wickets and protracted weather delays prevented them from generating any batting momentum. Spin twins Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and Rashid Khan each took two wickets with 43 overs left for each side. Fazalhaq Farooqi finished with a 3-24, making him the game’s best bowler.
After deciding to bowl first in the gloomy circumstances, Afghanistan scored swiftly . When Farooqi got Tamim probing at a one-way outside off stump. Litton Das (26) and Najmul Hossain Shanto briefly partnered .
Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto, both players, experienced dismissals within six balls of each other, leading to Bangladesh’s score reaching 72/3. Mujeeb took the game-changing wicket. After some time, the first downpour arrived, but the match had not lost any overs yet.
During the two weather delays, Afghanistan took four wickets for 30 runs, causing a middle-order collapse that began with Shakib al Hassan’s dramatic exit. Azmatullah Omarzai broke the accumulating 37-run partnership just before Bangladesh reached the triple digits. Rashid joined the group right away to get Afif Hossain and Mushfiqur Rahim home quickly and affordably.
After the second rain delay, only seven overs remained in each of the two innings when play could continue. While Hridoy was firmly holding one end, Mujeeb trapped Taskin LBW in his sixth and final over of the day. After 67 attempts, Hridoy finally scored his fifty. Farooqi put an end to the home team’s celebration with a hurried outside pass that the half-centurion eventually managed to shove to the keeper.
Due to two rain delays, Afghanistan’s revised aim is 164 runs, and Bangladesh’s batting has already started.
Brief scores:
Bangladesh 169/9 in 43 overs (Towhid Hridoy 51; Fazalhaq Farooqi 3-24, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman 2-23, Rashid Khan 2-21) vs Afghanistan (Match reduced to 43 overs per side due to rain)
