Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, 3rd T20I - Who Said What

Afghanistan whitewashed the Bangladeshis 3-0 in the recent T20I series.

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Afghanistan team. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Team Afghanistan registered a historic series win over Bangladesh in Dehradun. With a one run win in the third and the final T20I of the series, they completed the dominant whitewash against the ‘visiting’ side. Coming in to the game, the hosts had already sealed the fate of the series. On the other hand, the Bangladesh team were under the pump for having under-performed in the first two matches of the season.

They had nothing but pride to play for in the game. Their bowlers lived up to the occasion in the match and restricted Afghanistan to 145 in the stipulated 20 overs. The struggles came to the fore when the batsmen failed to get going again. Barring the 40s from Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, no other batsman showed intent at the crease. Eventually, it was the clinical bowling of Rashid Khan that managed to defend 9 in the final over to seal an Afghanistan victory.

After the game, the Bangladeshi skipper Shakib Al Hasan tried to look at the silver lining. He noted that the performance was better than the previous two games. He, however, expressed his disappointment at the end result. He credited the opposition spinners for their excellent run of form in the series and believed that they were the difference between the two sides.

Bangladesh captain – Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib Al Hasan said: We were better than the first two games. But disappointing the way we played this series and we need to come up with better plans. We restricted them to a reasonable total. We are a good enough batting side to chase that, but in the middle overs we conceded too much and that costed us. Mushfiq and Mahmudullah did really well, but we need to know how to close it off. They have some quality spinners and they were the better side on the night.

Afghanistan captain – Asghar Stanikzai

Meanwhile, the Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai remarked that the win has given a big boost to the team morale. He believes that the confidence of beating a Test playing nation will help Afghanistan in the Test match against India in Bengaluru. He also thanked the crowds in Dehradun for the support that they showed throughout the series.

Asghar Stanikzai said: It was a great preparation for the Test (against India). If you can beat a Test playing team even in T20, it automatically increases the morale. The boys did really well. When the team is in form, everything seems to go really well. Thanks to the CM. I thank the crowd who made the ground beautiful and I really appreciate the noise you made in this series.

Player of the Match – Mushfiqur Rahim

One of the very few positives for Bangladesh in the game was Mushfiqur Rahim. The veteran batsman scored 46 off 37 deliveries with 7 fours in the game. When he was at the crease, Bangladesh looked cruising in the run chase. After his dismissal, the innings fell apart. Rahim noted that the ask was a little too much in the final two overs. He credited the Afghanistani bowlers for exploiting the wicket very well.

Mushfiqur Rahim said: We knew how the wicket would behave and we knew it was going to difficult on this track. We were few runs short in the final overs; you can’t expect 20-odd runs to be made in the second-last over. Congratulations to Afghanistan, they played well. It’s disheartening because even though we lost the series, we were playing for pride. I think 145+ was a par score, especially with a bowling attack like Afghanistan.

He added: They exploited the surface very well, and they did well overall in the entire series. Mahmudullah and I managed to build a partnership, but we needed a few more boundaries I think. Even off the last ball, it could have gone either way, but I think these things happen in cricket and we’ll look to come back stronger next time.

Player of the Series – Rashid Khan

Meanwhile, Rashid Khan was named as the Player of the Series. Rashid returned with figures of 1/24 in the game. He defended 9 in the final over to win the match for his side. Earlier, in the first two games, he was named as the Player of the Match on both the occasions. He expressed his delight with the team performance. He thanked the crowds for coming out in huge numbers to support their side. He was happy with the overall outcome of the series.

Rashid Khan said: Quite happy with the performance, and the best part is that we won. I’m focused on looking at the positives, and thankfully it worked out for me. The ball was gripping a little, and if I bowled in the good length area, it was turning quite a bit. I just try to bowl googlies and leg-breaks and enjoy the game, and enjoy every ball I bowl. In the last one year, I have tried to stay fit, and improve upon my fitness, which has changed everything. I have managed to contribute in the field, with ball and bat. Thanks to the crowd for coming out here and supporting us.

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