Bangladesh will go all-out to win the second ODI against Afghanistan on Friday and take the three-match series 2-0, said the team’s head coach Russell Domingo.
The match will be played Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, where the Tigers stunned the visitors with a four-wicket victory after a great fight-back by Afif Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
The duo orchestrated a 174-run stand between them to guide the Tigers to a historic win.
The Tigers chased down a moderate target of 216 which had become harder after losing six wickets in just 45 runs.
In that match, Bangladesh conceded 18 extra runs with 13 wides. Domingo said it’s the point where Bangladesh need to focus more and improve further.
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“It was a great match, but tomorrow is more important than yesterday,” the Bangladesh coach said on Thursday.
“We conceded 13 wides, we missed a catch and we lost six wickets in just 45 runs in the previous match. So we have to improve further. We have to play good cricket,” he said.
Bangladesh players came to this series after the Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). They expected an easy win in the series opener which did not really happen despite showing some good bowling after being sent to bowl first.
Led by Mustafizur Rahman, Bangladesh restricted Afghanistan to 215 in 49.1 overs. But the batters failed to have a good start. They lost too many wickets to Fazalhaq Farooqi, a left-arm pacer. The hosts lost six wickets in just 45 runs.
“It may sound unbelievable, but it was true that I had kept hope alive ,” Domingo recalled the moment Bangladesh lost the sixth wicket in just 45 runs.
“Mehidy has a Test century and also played very well in BPL, and Afif is a cool-headed batter. So we thought it’s still possible if this two stay steady and play without added pressure.”
Bangladesh coach said the belief got stronger when Bangladesh needed 60 runs to win as the Afghanistan team was lacking more options in their bowling side and the wicket was behaving like a familiar one.
Also read: We didn't expect a win after losing six wickets early: Tamim
In his seven previous matches, Afif had only a fifty. But he has always been considered a batter who can keep the scoreboard afloat in any situation of the match, and the southpaw proved it in a crucial time.
“I want Afif to continue batting at number seven,” Domingo said when he was asked if he thinks to change the batting position of Afif.
“We have a genuine wicketkeeper who bats at the top of the order, and we also have a genuine spinner who also bats there. In this situation, Aiff is the best choice to bat at number seven, and we are not thinking to change his position now.”
Afghanistan’s premium spinner Rashid Khan was the main threat to Bangladesh batters, and along with him, Mujeeb Ur Rahman was also a big challenge for the hosts' batters. But in the end, they were overshadowed by the young pacer Farooqi.
Bangladesh coach did not hesitate to praise Farooqi for his wonderful spell. He said the Bangladesh batters should play him carefully in the next matches. “He was outstanding in the first match. Those deliveries that dismissed Liton (Das), Mushfiqur (Rahim) and Yasir (Al) were so good. Our batters need to play him well.”
This series is a part of the World Cup Super League. Bangladesh played 13 matches so far in this league and won nine of them. If the Tigers win the next match, they will be at the top of the table with 10 wins surpassing England who have nine wins from 15 matches so far.