Bangladesh and Afghanistan produced a thrilling T20I game in Sylhet on Friday. Riding high on confidence after their ODI series win over Bangladesh, Afghanistan would have ideally wanted to start off the T20Is also with a win but it was the hosts eventually who came out on top. Having said that, it wasn't that easy a win for the Bangla Tigers and the visitors did manage to give them a run for their money even when the match, at one stage, seemed to have slipped away from their hands.
While Afghanistan had posted 154/7, Bangladesh seemed to be cruising towards a fine win with Towhid Hridoy and Shamim Hossain, having added 73 runs for the fifth wicket. It was Mehidy Hasan Miraz who replaced Hossain after the latter departed in the 18th over but even then Bangladesh seemed favourite. But a dramatic final over awaited at the Sylhet International Stadium with the home team needing 6 to win off 6 first balls.
Karim Janat, who had bowled 1 over for 7 runs up until this point in the match, was trusted to bowl the final over. He failed to execute his yorker to perfection in his first ball and the Mehisy Hasan, the batter on strike managed to send it for a boundary. However, Janat turned the match on its head with wickets off the next three balls. Mehidy Hasan, Taskin Ahmed and Nasum Ahmed departed off successive deliveries with Bangladesh still 2 runs away.
But the home team finally breathed a sigh of relief when Shoriful Islam slashed a cut through point and the ball went past the boundary ropes. Even though Afghanistan fought hard, they lost the match by 2 wickets.
Have a look at the dramatic final over here:
The second and final T20I will be played on July 16 at the same venue.