Afghanistan 83 for 2 (Ibrahim 41*, Shakib 1-9) beat Bangladesh 169 for 9 (Hridoy 51, Farooqi 3-24) by 17 runs (DLS method)

In between three rain breaks, Afghanistan sneaked a fine bowling performance to beat Bangladesh by 17 runs, to take a 1-0 lead in the ODI series. Play was suspended in Chattogram for a total of three hours and 15 minutes, reducing the game to 43-overs-a-side. But even that wasn’t possible. A final downpour at 9.33pm forced the players off the field with the visitors on 83 for 2 in 21.4 overs, and since that was 17 runs more than the DLS par score at that point of the innings, they were declared the winners.

The groundstaff of the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, who were tireless in peeling and unpeeling the large tarps that covered most of the 30-yard circle to protect it from the rain, deserve high praise. Credit should also go to the near capacity crowd that struck around for most of the game, despite there being very little overhead cover at the ground. They had to scamper to the staircases to save themselves from the rain that swept in from south.

The players they came to see though didn’t do them any favours. Merely flattered to deceive.

Because apart from Tamim Iqbal’s dismissal in the seventh over, Bangladesh were actually going at a good pace in the first 20 overs. Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto promised plenty of runs, hitting five boundaries, including a six. But when they fell within six balls of each other – Litton timing a pull straight to deep square leg and Shanto top-edging a sweep to short fine leg – Bangladesh started to slow down.

With Shakib Al Hasan focused on seeing out a few overs, Afghanistan took advantage. The fourth wicket added just 37 runs in 65 balls, and while the slowdown was necessary due to the first rain break, after 15.1 overs of play, it ultimately cost Bangladesh.

Shakib laboured to 15 off 37 balls – his slowest ODI innings in eight years (min 30 balls) – before Nabi had him caught at cover. Rashid removed Mushfiqur Rahim for the tenth time in competitive cricket, a half-tracker slipping through the batter’s legs, glancing the inner thigh and hitting the stumps. Afghanistan’s legspin ace also got Afif Hossain lbw, with a little help from DRS, and when Farooqi returned to take out Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Bangladesh’s batting was a freefall.