Pool A: Bangladesh Vs Afghanistan played at Manuka Oval, Canberra

Bangladesh 267 All Out (Mushfiqur Rahman 71, Shakib Ul Hasan 63, Anamul Huq 29, Soumya Sarkar 28, Mahamudullah 23, Shapoor Zadran 2/20, Mirwais Ashraf 2/32, Aftab Alam 2/55, Hamid Hasan 2/61) beat Afghanistan 162 All Out (Mohammad Nabi 44, Samiullah Shinwari 42, Mashrafee Mortaza 3/ 20, Shakib Al Hasan 2/43)

Team Tiger Bangladesh launched it world cup venture with a massive 105 runs win against Afghanistan. A sweet revenge of the defeat last year quoted by few as a bitter reminder. Bangladesh after getting bogged down at the start and middle stage of their own batting recovered well by their true trusted servants Mushfique and Shakib scored 267 all out.  Tiger boss the indomitable Mashafee then bowled with his hears out striking early double blows and with Rubel joining him in the hunt pegged Afghans back at 3/3. Taskin, Shakib, Mahamudullah joined the party .The entire team ran and chase everything coming their way. Some great catches were held, good run outs were seen .Bangladesh won big and made a strong statement in their very first match of the world cup. Huge cheering Bangladeshi fans thoroughly enjoyed a fascinating all round performance of team tigers .

Last night in my preview when I wrote Bangladesh will roar back and win big few of my Afghan friends in social media were contesting. This morning when cricinfo opened its page I wrote and Cricinfo let it out on their page “Whatever happened in Asia Cup last year at Dhaka was done and dusted. Bangladesh has potential to win and win big. Tigers got injured from 4 losses in practice matches and injured tirgers are always legal.”

Few had doubts and concerns. But deep in my heart I did believe that Bangladesh would bounce back with vengeance under tiger Mashrafee and so they did and who else but Mashrafee inspired from the front with superbly controlled bowling .He looked supremely confident right after winning the toss. But against very probing pace attack of Hamid Hasan and Shapoor Zadran Tamim and Anamul could hardly take any liberty .Runs were very difficult to get. Tamim could be out very early if Nabi could ask for DRS. Still he looked very tentative. Anamul was also not better. By the time both got out in the 17th over only 52 runs were scored. Mashrafee took a calculative gamble sending Soumya Sarkar at number three. His promotion gave some momentum as he struck some vital blows. But holding back Mominul and Mushfique coming as late as number six was a great strategic mistake. Mushfique and Shakib should bat at number four and five under any circumstance in Bangladesh batting order. If Mominul is in the team he must be slotted at number three. Asking Mominul to bat at number 9 is a joke. Anyway Mushfique and Shakib batted wonderfully well to salvage Bangladesh innings from a deep hole. Their dynamic 5th wicket partnership raised the tempo of Bangladesh innings which otherwise was crawling and crumbling at 4/119 in the 30th over. Mushfique scored a brilliant 71 in 56 deliveries and Shakib got 63 off 51 . We always wrote and now repeating that the best batsmen of the team must get more balls for good scores. Mahamudullah, Soumya Sarkar and Shabbir can be more useful in the late middle order. Gavaskar,Sourav Ganguly and Ramiz Raza were not observing differently. 267 against Afghanistan proved ok and Bangladesh could get away with good bowling efforts. . But against major opposition the score was perhaps 25-30 runs short. Afghanistan bowled well as a team. Hamid Hasan, Shahpoor Zadran, Miwais Ashraf and Aftab Alam equally shared eight wickets among themselves.

Bangladesh target was chaseable .But brilliant Mashrafee and lively Rubel within three overs made a mess of the chase sending three top order batsmen back to the camp with only three runs on board .While wily fox Mashrafee moved the ball exceedingly well Rubel and teenager Taskin bowled with lively pace .Afghanistan’s reply ran into hot waters .Nowroz Mangal and Samiullah Sinwari tried to repair the damage but accurate bowling and fielding kept them in check. Finally a brilliant throw from the fence by effervescent Shabbir saw Sinwari short of the ground in his attempt of getting a second run. Nabi and Najibullah Zadran were doing resurrecting act. But a double blow by Mashrafee and Shakib put paid the Afghan efforts. Afghanistan could manage only 162 losing all their wickets conceding a huge 105 runs defeat. Tigers took a sweet revenge of their last years crushing defeat in Asia Cup at Dhaka. Mashrafee picked 3/20 in his 9 overs while Shakib took 2 for 43. Rubel and Taskin bowled with lively pace. Bangladesh made a strong statement winning big. Bangladesh may not now be a mere push over in the next match at Brisbane against host red hot Australia.

Bangladesh has think seriously about team combination and sort out perfect batting order as the next two matches will be against Australia and Sri Lanka where opponents will be out to try and blow Bangladesh out . Tigers must work out right strategy and plot appropriate plans as the tasks wont be easy at all.

BDST: 1869 HRS, FEB 18, 2015