Bangladesh opened their ICC World Cup 2023 campaign with a bang on Saturday as they defeated Afghanistan by 6 wickets in a low-scoring match at the scenic HPCA stadium in Dharamsala.
Put into bat, Afghanistan were bowled out for just 156 in 37.2 overs with Mehidy Hasan Miraz and captain Shakib Al Hasan taking three wickets each. Shoriful Islam (2/34), Taskin Ahmed (1/32) and Mustafizur Rahman (1/28) also contributed to the team's cause with the ball.
Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the lone batter who fired with the bat for the Afghans, scoring 47 off 62 balls but rest all failed to get going.
Bangladesh break ODI jinx in India
Bangladesh in reply, rode on half-centuries from Mehidy Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto to reach the target in 34.4 overs.
Shanto top-scored with 59 while Mehidy Hasan made 57 to lead the charge with the bat and help Bangladesh register only their third ODI win on Indian soil. The Tigers broke their win drought in India after 17 years as they last won an ODI here in 2006 against Zimbabwe in Jaipur.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz adjuged Player of the Match
"It’s a great moment for me, I’ve done a lot of hard work in the past. Credit to the team management because they believed in me.
"I’ve always batted at no.8 so a great moment for me to bat at the top of the order. They tried me at the top of the order in the last few matches and it’s a great moment for me," Mehidy Hasan said after picking up Player of the Match award.
Afghanistan meanwhile, suffered their 13th consecutive defeat in ODI World Cups, which is the third most in the tournament's history behind Zimbabwe's streak of 18 successive losses, followed by Scotland's 14.
