Ghazanfar's six-fer stuns Bangladesh in ODI series opener

Afghanistan secured a stunning victory against Bangladesh in the first game of the three-match ODI series. 

While Sharjah hosted the historic 300th international match on Wednesday (November 6), Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi chose to bat first. After Bangladesh bowled out Afghanistan for 235 runs, Bangladesh were once strongly chasing the target at 120/2, but they were ultimately bundled out for only 143 runs as Afghanistan won by 92 runs. 

Among the Bangladesh batters, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto scored 47 runs, while the opener Soumya Sarkar (33) and the no.4 batter Mehidy Hasan Miraz (28) provided some good partnerships. The no.5 batter Towhid Hridoy (11) was the other Bangladesh batter to reach the double-digit marks in that innings.

The 18-year-old Afghanistan off-spinner AM Ghazanfar took six wickets in the innings as he finished with the bowling figures of 6.3-1-26-6. While those were the second-best ODI bowling figures by an Afghanistan bowler, Ghazanfar became the third youngest bowler to record a six-wicket haul. 

Rashid Khan holds the record for the best ODI bowling figures by an Afghanistan bowler with the figures 8.4-1-18-7. 

Coming back to the ODI series opener, Rashid Khan took two wickets (2/28), while Mohammad Nabi (1/23) and Azmatullah Omarzai (1/16) got one wicket each. 

Earlier, Afghanistan batters also struggled against Bangladesh bowlers. Struggling on 35/4 and 71/5, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and former skipper Mohammad Nabi handled the Afghan innings. Shahidi and Nabi set a 104-run partnership for the sixth wicket. While Shahidi scored 52 runs off 92 balls with two fours, Nabi scored 84 runs off 79 balls with four fours and three sixes.

Nangeyalia Kharote also had a useful cameo by scoring 27 not out off 28 balls with two fours and one six.

Among the Bangladesh bowlers, Taskin Ahmed (4/53) and Mustafizur Rahman (4/58) both picked up four wickets each. Also, Shoriful Islam has taken a wicket (1/32).