Kingstown: Afghanistan clinched a low-scoring thriller against Bangladesh by eight runs in a rain-hit Super Eight match to enter the semifinal of the T20 World Cup for the first time and in the process, also knocked Australia out of the tournament.
Putting into bat first, Afghanistan posted a below-par score of 115/5 in 20 overs. But in defence, Rashid Khan and Naveen-ul-haq showcased scintillating bowling to successfully defend the total as Bangladesh were bowled out for 105 in 17.5 overs chasing a DLS target of 114 in a match that was reduced to 19 overs due to rain interruptions.
Rashid finished with figures of 4-23 while Naveen claimed 4-26 in a historic win for Afghanistan.
Batting first, Afghanistan had a slow start as they were 27/0 at the conclusion of the Powerplay and easy runs were proving hard to come by. On the very first ball, opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz nearly ran out a quick single, only just making it through.
The opening duo Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran made a 50-run stand early in the ninth over, becoming the first pair to put together four partnerships of at least 50 in a T20 World Cup.
Despite Bangladesh controlling the run rate, they gave away 13 extras in the first nine overs. Afghanistan were 58/0 at drinks and needed to increase their pace.
The breakthrough wicket came on the fourth ball after the mid-innings break, as Zadran (18 off 29) attempted to float one over long off, but didn’t get enough on it. The 12th over was a well-timed maiden, as more nerves kicked in for Afghanistan's batters.
The breakthrough wicket came on the fourth ball of the 11th over when Zadran (18 off 29) failed to clear long off. The 12th over was a well-timed maiden, increasing the pressure on Afghanistan's batters.
Azmatullah Omarzai was removed cheaply, and Gurbaz (43 off 55) fell two balls into the 16th over after his crucial contribution for Afghanistan to post a remotely competitive total.
Bangladesh took two more wickets before the 18th over, leaving Afghanistan at 99/5 with two overs remaining.
