Opener Mushfiq gets bowled while trying to play scoop shot

Chasing 165, Bangladesh made a surprise call as they sent Mushfiqur Rahim to open the innings with Liton Kumar Das ahead of regular opener Soumya Sarker. 

Perhaps Bangladesh’s plan was to tackle Afghan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman but the plan backfired. 

Mushfiq had a golden duck against Zimbabwe and has been in a bad patch in the shortest format of the game in recent time. 

Mushfiq opened his account with a boundary through cover-point region in the second over against pacer Fareed Malik. 

But in the very next ball, Mushfiq tried to play a scoop shot and failed awkwardly as his off stump was shattered.  

That was certainly not a smart choice of shot from one of the most experienced batsmen in Tigers’ batting line up and definitely an untimely shot for an opener considering it was just the second over in the innings. 

As Bangladesh lost opener Liton’s wicket in second ball of the innings, Mushfiq’s dismissal in that manner made it more difficult for Bangladesh. 

3rd T20I

Afghanistan INNINGS        R    B    

Rahmanullah b Saifuddin    0    1

Hazratullah c Liton b Shakib     1    2

Najeeb c Sabbir b Saifuddin    11    13

Asghar c Sabbir b Saifuddin    40    37

Najibullah c Soumya b Shakib     5    7

Nabi not out            84    54

Gulbadin b Saifuddin        0    2

Karim not out            5    6

Extras (b 8, lb 2, nb 2, w 6) 18

TOTAL  (6 Wickets, 20 Overs)     164

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 0.1 ov), 2-10 (Hazratullah Zazai, 1.4 ov), 3-19 (Najeeb Tarakai, 2.6 ov), 4-40 (Najibullah Zadran, 5.5 ov), 5-119 (Asghar Afghan, 16.2 ov), 6-121 (Gulbadin Naib, 16.5 ov)

BOWLING    

Saifuddin 4-0-33-4, Shakib 4-1-18-2, Mustafizur    4-0-25-0, Taijul 4-0-32-0, Soumya 2-0-31-0,  Mosaddek 1-0-12-0, Mahmudullah 1-0-3-0 

Bangladesh INNINGS        R    B

Liton c Najeeb b Mujeeb     0    2

Mushfiqur b Fareed        5    3

Shakib c Rashid b Mujeeb     15    13

Mahmudullah c Najeeb b Naib    44    39

Soumya lbw b Mujeeb         0    1

Sabbir c Naib b Mujeeb         24    27

Afif c Najibullah b Naib        16    14

Mosaddek b Rashid         12    10

Saifuddin c & b Rashid        2    3

Taijul not out            0    1

Mustafizur c sub (Shafiqullah) b Fareed    15    7

Extras (lb 3, nb 1, w 2) 6

TOTAL  (All Out, 19.5 Overs) 139

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Liton Das, 0.2 ov), 2-11 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 1.5 ov), 3-31 (Shakib Al Hasan, 4.2 ov), 4-32 (Soumya Sarkar, 4.6 ov), 5-90 (Mahmudullah, 13.2 ov), 6-95 (Sabbir Rahman, 14.3 ov), 7-115 (Afif Hossain, 17.1 ov), 8-120 (Mohammad Saifuddin, 18.1 ov), 9-124 (Mosaddek Hossain, 18.3 ov), 10-139 (Mustafizur Rahman, 19.5 ov)

BOWLING    

Mujeeb 4-0-15-4, Fareed 2.5-0-33-2, Karim 3-0-27-0, Nabi 2-0-11-0, Rashid 4-0-23-2, Naib 4-0    -27-2 

Afghanistan won by 25 runs 

MoM: Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan)