It was nothing short of a heist in Sharjah in the first ODI. Bangladesh were sailing ever so insipidly towards victory when Afghan spinners buccaneered them on their way. Five wickets fell in 16 balls, making Najmul Hossain Shanto’s men hoping for mercy. But mercy did not come and Afghanistan bagged a victory they had no business bagging.

It might look from the way the match immediately turned topsy-turvy that Afghanistan had luck on their side in the game. They were five down for 70-odd runs during the first inning when a responsible partnership between Hashmatullah Shahidi and Mohammad Nabi toned the scoreboard up. They had allowed Bangladesh to keep the scoreboard ticking until the visitors were less than a hundred runs away from victory with eight wickets and 18 overs in hand. But the spinners did their thing and turned the tables. In all fairness, it was less about dumb luck and more about Afghanistan trusting their strength.

Bangladesh have another game at the same venue to make amends, the biggest of all should be to not subside without a fight.

Team Overview:

Afghanistan would be well served if their opening pair could find some impact runs up top. Gurbaz was phenomenal against South Africa in September, hitting a century followed by a sturdy 89-run knock and this is exactly what the team needs him to do. Sediqullah Atal could not show any write-home-about-skills in the first game and more than anything Gurbaz’s strong showing with the bat can help the newbie play more freely. Afghanistan’s bowling lineup just keeps on giving. Allah Muhammad Ghazanfar cantered through Bangladesh to become the pick of the bowlers for his team. This is saying something because he even outshined Rashid Khan in doing so.

Mushfiqur Rahim will miss the remaining ODI series with a fractured finger. With Litton Das also battling his fever, Jaker Ali will get into the mix because Bangladesh require a batter and a wicketkeeper. Ali has not played a 50-over game ever before though his List-A stats reek of brilliance. With a more than 40 average in List A, he can be expected to give Bangladesh’s middle order the stability that has evaded the team of late. Bangladesh spinners were not half as impressive as their Afghan counterparts, as they remained wicketless despite the surface offering help. It would be a shocker if they fail again in the second game, given that all of them have had a decent year with the ball so far.

Head-to-Head Matches:

Afghanistan have played 17 ODI games against Bangladesh. In these 17 games, Bangladesh were able to stand out in 10, while Afghanistan won the remaining seven.

Weather and Pitch Report:

Sharjah is Afghanistan’s home away from home. Its lack of moisture will help the Afghanistan spinners grasp the Bangladesh batters from the neck. The pacers can hope to make the most of the new ball early on. The toss-winning captain should opt to bat first as the surface will become exceedingly difficult to bat on later.

Prediction:

When Afghanistan get going, it is difficult to break their speed. Bangladesh are in the middle of a very tight situation and Afghanistan would be hell-bent on making them gulp for air more desperately. Unless Shanto’s men find a way to read the Afghan spinners, the hosts will get away with the series.