Bangladesh spinner-allrounder Mehedi Hasan Miraz has termed their sufferings against Afghanistan in the lone Test match as “unlucky”.
Host Bangladesh are up against a probable defeat against lower-ranked Afghanistan in the Chittagong Test.
Bangladesh have been kept on the back-foot as the third day of the match finished with the visiting side managing a 374-run lead.
The tourist have the ambition of posting some 400 runs on the board and then put Bangladesh in to bat for the chase.
Dropped at silly point on zero in the third over of the innings and again on 66, Ibrahim Zadran has been the highlight of @ACBofficials dominance over @BCBtigers in the second innings.https://t.co/jQzv5oN7Vn#BCBTIGERS #BCB #TIGERS #BANGLADESHCRICKET #BANGLADESH #CRICKET #ACB
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) September 7, 2019
Bangladesh’s highest successful chase in Tests had come in 2009 in St George’s, against an under-strength West Indies
The situation in the game is a tough one to swallow for the Tigers.
Three Test-old Afghanistan have ruled Bangladesh for the most parts of the game, thus putting statistics and difference in experience firmly in the backburner.
“They have just started playing Test cricket and for that reason they have the hunger to prove. We had come to the game with the ambition of winning and have taken all preparation, but the time I think was not with us. There are good times and bad times. Our bad luck has been, we had two bad days in the game,” said Miraz to the media Saturday.
Off-spinner Miraz stated that Afghanistan have adopted a mentality for the longer-version.
This however, paved the way for some questions to be raised.
#Afghans in winning position, believes #Ibrahim https://t.co/gDXBtDcvtP
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) September 7, 2019
What exactly has Bangladesh been doing after playing in the format for the past 19 years?
“As I said before, there is good time and bad time. We have won matches against top sides like Australia and England. I believe the recent time has not been good to us and that we have fallen back. It is not that we have never won a Test,” said Miraz, who have claimed two wickets in the game so far.
Taking the conditions at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium into consideration, chances look bleak for Bangladesh to get out from the drench, added by the doubts which have been raised following the batting failure in the first innings.
The home side’s batting was torn apart by the Afghanistan spinners as Bangladesh fell well short of the opposition total.
A possible way for Bangladesh to avoid the humiliation of defeat is by depending on the weather.
Stumps, Day 3.
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) September 7, 2019
Tomorrow the match will resume at 9:30 am (Local time).#BANvAFG #RiseOfTheTigers pic.twitter.com/tlaNeUF0Of
As per the forecast, Chittagong is likely to see rain in the remaining two days of the game and this can make the affair finish in a draw.
It is a norm to keep hope till the end of the road and Miraz did that when queried of Bangladesh’s chances.
The 21-year old is hoping for a miracle.
“Anything can happen in cricket. We will try given we have two days in hand. First job is to quickly take the two remaining wickets. Then our batsmen will need to act responsibly. I believe anything can happen in cricket. You can lose a winning game, you can win a losing game. There are many such incidents,” said the all-rounder.
ONLY TEST, DAY 3
AFGHANISTAN 1ST INNINGS R B
Ibrahim c Mahmudullah b Taijul 21 69
Ihsanullah b Taijul 9 36
Rahmat c Soumya b Nayeem 102 187
Shahidi c Soumya b Mahmudullah 14 32
Asghar c Mushfiq b Taijul 92 174
Nabi b Nayeem 0 3
Zazai b Taijul 41 115
Rashid c & b Miraz 51 61
Qais c Mominul b Shakib 9 15
Yamin c Soumya b Shakib 0 7
Zahir not out 0 5
Extras (lb 1, nb 2) 3
Total (117 Overs) 342 all out
Fall Of Wickets
1-19 (Ihsanullah), 2-48 (Ibrahim), 3-77 (Shahidi), 4-197 (Rahmat), 5-197 (Nabi), 6-278 (Asghar), 7-299 (Zazai), 8-322 (Qais), 9-327 (Yamin), 10-342 (Rashid)
Bowling
Taijul 41-5-116-4, Shakib 22-1-64-2, Miraz 28-5-73-1, Nayeem 13-0-43-2, Mahmudullah 4-0-9-1, Soumya 4-0-26-0, Mominul 4-0-9-0, Mosaddek 1-0-1-0
BANGLADESH 1ST INNINGS R B
Shadman c Zazai b Yamin 0 4
Soumya lbw b Nabi 17 66
Liton b Rashid 33 66
Mominul c Asghar b Nabi 52 71
Shakib lbw b Rashid 11 20
Mushfiq c Ibrahim b Rashid 0 2
Mahmudullah b Rashid 7 13
Mosaddek not out 48 82
Miraz b Qais 11 31
Taijul b Nabi 14 58
Nayeem lbw b Rashid 7 12
Extras (b 4, lb 1) 5
Total (70.5 Overs) 205 all out
1-0 (Shadman), 2-38 (Soumya), 3-54 (Liton), 4-88 (Shakib), 5-88 (Mushfiq), 6-104 (Mahmudullah), 7-130 (Mominul Haque), 8-146 (Miraz), 9-194 (Taijul), 10-205 (Nayeem)
Bowling
Yamin 10-2-21-1, Nabi 24-6-56-3, Zahir 9-1-46-0, Rashid 19.5-3-55-5, Qais 8-2-22-1
AFGHANISTAN 2ND INNINGS R B
Ihsanullah lbw b Shakib 4 3
Ibrahim c Mominul b Nayeem87 208
Rahmat c & b Shakib 0 1
Shahidi c Soumya b Nayeem 12 37
Asghar c Shakib b Taijul 50 108
Zazai not out 34 83
Nabi c Mominul b Miraz 8 13
Rashid b Taijul 24 22
Qais lbw b Shakib 14 26
Yamin not out 0 1
Extras (b 4) 4
Total (83.4 Overs) 237/8
Fall Of Wickets
1-4 (Ihsanullah), 2-4 (Rahmat), 3-28 (Shahidi), 4-136 (Asghar), 5-171 (Ibrahim), 6-180 (Nabi), 7-210 (Rashid), 8-235 (Qais)
Bowling
Shakib 16-3-53-3, Miraz 12-3-35-1, Taijul 24.4-5-68-2, Nayeem 17-2-61-2, Mominul 10-6-13-0, Mosaddek 4-1-3-0
Afghanistan lead by 374 runs