All-round Omarzai propels Afghanistan to five-wicket victory

Azmatullah Omarzai's allround performance took Afghanistan to a five-wicket win against Bangladesh in the first ODI in Abu Dhabi. Omarzai picked up three wickets before he contributed with an aggressive 40 when Afghanistan lost set batters Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah in their 222-run chase.

Afghanistan completed the win in the 48th over, with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi unbeaten on 34, while the veteran Mohammad Nabi struck the winning runs with a six off Saif Hassan.

It turned out to be a day of milestones for the Afghanistan side. After Rashid Khan became the first from his team to reach 200 wickets in ODIs, Rahmat also became the first from Afghanistan to reach 4,000 runs in the format. Rashid is the second fastest spinner to reach 200 wickets, having taken 115 matches.

Rashid also took three wickets in the match, removing top-scorer captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan at a crucial stage in the Bangladesh innings. When Afghanistan bowled them out for 221 runs in 48.5 overs, it gave them the momentum going into the chase.

Afghanistan began their reply brightly too. Ibrahim Zadran struck the first three boundaries, before Rahmanullah Gurbaz blasted Taskin Ahmed down the ground for a six. The opening pair raised their 50-run stand in the ninth over, before Tanvir Islam broke through with an excellent delivery. The left-arm spinner got the ball to turn well away from Zadran who walked past the delivery, before Nurul Hasan completed the stumping.

Tanzim Hasan then got one to rear at Sediqullah Atal, who tried to move away from the line of the ball, but it took his outside edge, to nestle into Tanzid Hasan's grasp in the slips.

Similar to how Mehidy and Hridoy batted for Bangladesh after they lost three quick wickets, Rahmat Shah and Gurbaz lowered their run-rate significantly. When Rahmat smashed Tanvir inside-out for a boundary in the 21st over, it was their first for 73 deliveries.

He struck one more boundary in the next ten overs, before Tanzim had him caught at midwicket for exactly 50. Four balls after the 78-run third wicket stand was broken, Mehidy got one to spin through Gurbaz, who also fell for 50.

Afghanistan however landed in the safe hands of their captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Omarzai. The pair added 59 runs for the fifth wicket, with Omarzai picking apart two Bangladesh bowlers at a crucial stage. He blazed Mehidy in his last over, for a four and a six, before spanking Tanzim for three fours in a row in the 43rd over.

Omarzai fell later in the same over, caught at short midwicket for 40 off 44 balls, with six fours and a six. Afghanistan though had turned the corner in the chase, as Omarzai left with the team needing 27 runs to win in the last seven overs. Shahidi and Nabi turned it into a cakewalk, as they won with 17 balls to spare.

Bangladesh though couldn't get going with the bat despite a 101-run fourth wicket stand between captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Towhid Hridoy. Both reached fifties but fell shortly afterwards too. Mehidy and Hridoy had rescued Bangladesh after they lost three wickets in the first 11.5 overs. Saif Hassan was striking the ball cleanly for his five boundaries, but when he fell for 26, Bangladesh had to rebuild.

Mehidy and Hridoy batted out nine overs with just one boundary, before hitting three sixes in consecutive overs. Hridoy however was run out after a mix-up with Mehidy, having made 56. When Mehidy fell lbw to Rashid Khan for 60, Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan followed him back to the pavilion in the same way, to the same bowler. Omarzai also took three wickets, having given Afghanistan the early breakthroughs.