Bowlers, Saif combine to hand Bangladesh 3-0 win against Afghanistan

Bangladesh clean swept Afghanistan 3-0 in the T20I series in Sharjah, as they successfully followed a chasing template in all three matches. Saif Hassan continued his good form with an unbeaten 38-ball 64 that powered Bangladesh to a six-wicket win in the third T20I.

Afghanistan once again fell well short after being sent in to bat first. They had an ordinary powerplay, followed by an even worse middle overs. Only a late burst from Darwish Rasooli and No. 10 Mujeeb Ur Rahman got them to 143 for 9 in 20 overs.

Tanzid Hasan got Bangladesh off to a quick start before Saif took over with his big-hitting. He struck seven sixes and two fours, including several swings, flicks and sweeps on his way to his fourth T20I fifty. Bangladesh did lose a couple of wickets in the middle, but Nurul Hasan struck the winning runs to wrap up victory with two overs to spare.

Azmatullah Omarzai provided Afghanistan with the early wicket of Parvez Hossain, when the left-hand batter skied him in the fifth over. Parvez looked good in the early exchanges, striking a four and a six in his innings of 14. But when he tried to loft Omarzai, he was caught at mid-off.

Saif started with a six later in the same over, before Tanzid crashed two fours in a row off Rashid Khan in the seventh over.

Tanzid then belted Mujeeb for a six over long-on, before Rasooli dropped a sitter off Tanzid's top edge in the 11th over. But thankfully, for Abdollah Ahmadzai, who was the bowler, Tanzid top-edged his next delivery, a slower one, to mid-off. But Tanzid's run-a-ball 33, and his 55-run second-wicket stand with Saif, had given Bangladesh a good base in their 144-run chase.

Like earlier in the series, Bangladesh, though, fell into the pattern of getting into panic mode after a good partnership. Captain Jaker Ali survived two lbw appeals in three balls against Rashid. Both times the ball pitched outside leg stump. Saif then laid into Ahmadzai with a 92-metre six in a 22-run over that should have made life comfortable for Bangladesh.

Instead, with just 35 runs to get in 38 balls, Jaker fell to Mujeeb. Jaker took a second review in his 11-ball stay, but this time it didn't save him. Mujeeb then had Shamim Hossain bowled for a golden duck to make things a little interesting.

Saif, meanwhile, cleverly played out Rashid's last over, the 15th of the innings, with forward-defensive shots, even as it meant giving away a maiden. It didn't put much pressure on Bangladesh, however, although he made up for it by striking debutant Bashir Ahmad for two sixes in the 16th over. Saif reached his fourth fifty with the second six in the over, a slog sweep that went for 95 meters.

Nurul, at the other end, remained not out on 10, including hitting the match-winning runs, a six off Ahmadzai, who had an evening to forget in Sharjah. Nurul thus ended unbeaten in all three matches of the T20I series.

Bangladesh's bowlers continued their dominance in the powerplay in this T20I series. Afghanistan were 39 for 3 after six overs, with Shoriful Islam once again giving Bangladesh an early breakthrough. He removed Ibrahim Zadran in the third over, before Shamim took a screamer at cover to dismiss Rahmanullah Gurbaz off Nasum Ahmed in the fourth over.

Wafiullah Tarakhil's wicket in the sixth over rounded off Afghanistan's struggle in the powerplay. Sediqullah Atal looked good during his 23-ball 28, before Mohammad Saifuddin had him caught at deep point in the 11th over. Omarzai then skied Rishad Hossain for 3, before Mohammad Nabi and Rashid fell cheaply, and in successive overs.

Bangladesh dominated with the ball till the 15th over, and with Afghanistan at 106 for 8, they might have expected to take the last two wickets rather quickly.

Bangladesh almost had the ninth wicket in the 17th over when umpire Ahmed Shah Pakteen adjudged Mujeeb lbw, only for a review to save Mujeeb. Rasooli struck Rishad for a four and six later in the over, before Mujeeb got two fours off Shoriful in the 18th over. Rasooli, who scored 29, fell trying to slash Saifuddin, thus giving the latter his third wicket, and ending a 34-run ninth-wicket stand.

New batter Bashir then survived a caught-behind chance, with the ball having dropped an inch in front of wicketkeeper Jaker. Mujeeb struck one more four to take Afghanistan past 140, thus giving their bowlers something to aim at.