SENSATIONAL effort at the edge of the long-on boundary from Shafiqullah. He was won it for Afghanistan. They whitewash Bangladesh 3-0! Another googly, but the length is shorter and outside off, hoicked away hard and flat to long-on. Will it go over the boundary? Nope. Shafiqullah leaps to his left and attempts to catch the ball. He can't catch it but manages to swat it into the field of play even as the ball swerves away from his reach. Then the ball somehow finds its way to wicketkeeper Shahzad, who breaks the bails, to run out Mahmudullah on the third. The third umpire is called in to see if Shafiqullah had stepped beyond the boundary when he flicked the ball back into the field of play. It is a matter of an inch, but he had not. And if Bangladesh had pilfered the third run, it would have been a tie. Shahzad does the nagin dance now. Go for it, champ. Rashid takes flight in joy. Celebrations in full swing in the Afghanistan camp. Madcap finish in Dehradun
Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, 3rd T20I at Dehra Dun, , Jun 07 2018 - Ball by Ball Commentary
11.55pm Asghar Stanikzai collects the trophy and soaks in the landmark moment with his team-mates. Scenes in Dehradun. Afghanistan will next travel to Bengaluru for their maiden Test, which begins on June 14. Many thanks for tuning in. Goodbye and good night for now.
Mushfiqur, Man of the Match: We knew it was going to be difficult in this track. Credit goes to Afghanistan and they deserve the win. Hopefully, we will learn from this. Although, we lost the series we were playing for pride. I thought 145+ was par, but with Mujeeb and Rashid it was tough. We lost early wickets and Shakib, we needed more partnership and boundaries. The wicket, however, was slow. We just wanted to take it to the last over. Rashid is difficult to play. Last ball can go either way.
Rashid Khan, Man of the Series (and Man of the Year already?): I am always trying my best to believe in my skills. I had one plan: whatever happens bowl in good-length area. Whether legspin or wrong'un, I just enjoy. The ball was gripping on a good length and that was my plan. Bowling this area got me success. Full credit to my fitness. If you're fit, you can delivery in any department. Doesn't matter whether I'm playing in league cricket or national team, I just want to enjoy. Thanks to the crowd for the support and love you've given us. We will come again and again to Dehradun. We will give you the best performances.
Shakib: We played better today than last two games. Overall, we have to come up with better plans. I thought we restricted them to reasonable total. We were so close, but in the middle overs that cost us. I thought Mushfiq and Mahmudullah gave us a chance but they could not finish it. These conditions suited Afghanistan and they had quality spinners.
Stanikzai: Good to win the series 3-0. Great preparation for Test match against India. The morale is high. Last couple of years we have performed well. We want to achieve it for Afghanistan. You see the batsmen, bowlers are all in good form. We have a few days for the Test match - thanks for the support.
11.40pm Afghanistan's players go on a lap of honour. What an effort from Shafiqullah. They last ball seemed destined to go to the boundary until he intervened and sealed a memorable 3-0 series win for Afghanistan. Karim Janat was smashed for five successive boundaries in the penultimate over, but that man Rashid Khan finished it off for his team with a stellar final over backed up by stellar fielding. After all, not many can defended eight off the last over.
Sourabh Sriom: "Stanikzai's address to the crowd was heart warming. They have embraced India as their home and Indians have embraced them as one of their own. I am up after working all night just to watch them play. Never thought this would happen for any other team than India."
MahneelMusa: "You think breakups and heartbreaks are tough? Come be a fan of Bangladesh cricket team."
Arunkumar: "Rashid Khan is the only bowler in the world right now that I'll be confident of defending 8 runs in the last over."
Rashid, Shahzad, and Gani have a mini-conference. Mahmudullah and Ariful, playing his first game of the series, chat at the other end. Bangladesh need four off the last ball
another wrong'un outside off, Mahmudullah drags a sweep to deep midwicket off the inside half
tossed-up legbreak, spins away outside off, slogs and edges it to short third man
wrong'un outside off, Ariful does not pick the variation, goes low and swings for the hills nevertheless. He slog-sweeps and inside-edges it past the stumps, wide of the keeper
Bangladesh need eight off four balls
googly? drifting down leg, Mahmudullah tickles a sweep and finds short fine leg
The batsmen crossed over. So, Mahmudullah on strike
Rashid has Mushfiqur holing out to deep square leg. What a gun bowler. Rashid pushes it through full on middle stump, Mushfiqur goes for his favourite slog-sweep but he does not get all of it. He hits it straight into the lap of Najibullah Zadran
Can Rashid defend eight off the last over? Bangladesh will back their seniors Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah
Nope. Janat finally nails a yorker, on middle, squirted back to the bowler. Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah complete a single. Twenty-one runs off the over
Can Mushfiqur make it six fours in a row?
Make it five fours in a row. Mushfiqur is on fire. He pulls off a reverse-sweep. Low full-toss on off stump, Mushfiq goes low and reverse-swats it between backward point and short third man. Excellent execution under pressure
four in a row. Scenes in Dehradun! Too full on middle, Jant errs in length again. Mushfiq gets under it and launches it over mid-off. Clean swing of the arms. Bangladesh's players in the dug out are pumped. Mushfiq punches gloves with Mahmudullah
really full on middle stump, overpitched, Mushfiq backs away outside leg and creams it straight of mid-off inside the circle
Stanikzai now has a chat with his brother. Pressure. Pressure
keeps it short on middle, Mushfiq rocks back, picks the length early, and middles a pull to the midwicket fence. Back-to-back boundaries for Bangladesh. They're catching up
Mushfiqur begins the over with a slashed boundary. Banged in short and wide outside off, the batsman makes additional room and clatters it away over point
Bangladesh need 30 off 12, of which Rashid will bowl six. They need to go big this over. Janat, Stanikzai's brother, runs in from over the wicket
caps the over with a fizzing wrong'un, breaks in and threatens off stump, Mahmudullah somehow keeps it out. Rashid - you beauty. Just two runs off the over
tossed outside off, draws Mahmudullah forward into a sweep and goes past the bat
wrong'un, breaks back from a length, chopped through point
Mushfiq jumps across off for a sweep, he moves even before Rashid delivers. Struck on the pad but outside the line of off
skidding through on off or just a shade outside off, Mahmudullah closes the face early and chips a leading edge to short cover. He hares across for a single
Mushfiq steps away outside leg, Rashid follows him, looks like a googly, breaks back in with extra bounce. Chopped through cover point
Bangladesh need 33 off 18 balls. Rashid has two left
full now, on off stump, mid-off is up, and Mahmudullah lofts it over that fielder and picks up another vital boundary. This is heading to a proper tight finish
short slower one, angling down leg. Mahmudullah gets a bit of glove on the pull, Shahzad misses the diving stop, and fine leg makes a sliding stop at the boundary