*BANGLADESH VS AFGHANISTAN 3rd ODI IN A 3 MATCH ODI SERIES 2023 PREVIEW*
*THE BUILD UP:*
So you’re telling me that Afghanistan were able to achieve the heights and were able to conquer Bangladesh in their own home ground with convinction something that India failed to in 2022? It seems a hard pill to swallow right? But it is, what it is and these Afghan boys were clinical in conquering this part of the world and with a game to play, they have a golden opportunity to crush Bangladesh with a whitewash as well. The two openers of Afghanistan were instrumental in setting this win up followed by the flawless troika of Rashid-Mujeeb and Farooqi dismantling the opposition and sealing their own fate.
The last game was Afghanistan’s third highest victory in one day internationals, in terms of margins and they showcased a huge smile for the same. The Bangladesh players appeared lazy, lacked positivity and it was quite evident in how they played their cricket. They are a side that are feared on their home turf and to be able to lose hope this quick was most certainly, a disappointing bit- an aspect which no Tigers fan would like to remember. With this in mind, let us discuss the Probable XIs for the third and the final game where the Tigers would be keenly searching for a consolation win but the Afghan boys, already pumped wouldn’t wait to make Bangladesh see the end of the barrel.
*BAN PROBABLE XI:*
Mohammad Naim, Najmul Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das (C), Towhid Hirdoy, Mushfiqur Rahim (Wk), Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed
Ebadot Hossain has been ruled out of the 3rd ODI and coming T20I series due to a knee injury.
Taskin Ahmed is likely to replace him in the playing XI for the third and the final ODI match. This could be a like for like replacement given the skill that the two possess. Ebadot was expensive in the second game where the Afghani batters made him pay for not sticking to the accurate line and length and with Taskin, Bangladesh would expect more control in the offing in order to choke the opponent and regain some lost pride.
Shakib promised more than what he delivered, specially with the bat. He is a tailor made player for these conditions but has not stood his ground in the two games where he has featured so far. What makes him different is his ability to come clutch when all other fail- one of the reasons why he is rated so highly. The Bangladeshi players would hope for an all round gem of a performance from their star allrounder. On the bowling front however, the maestro has been more than decent. He already has three wickets to his name and under an economy rate of 5- the 36 year old has been able to keep the batters in check and deliver consistently. You can never quite take your eyes off his bowling and on pitches, which suit his gameplay.
Mushfiqur Rahim can be proud of his fighting knock the other day where amidst all other clueless performances, he stood firm with a 85 ball 69, high scoring for his side and giving them just a glimmer of hope that was needed. Another strong middle order rescue act will be needed.
*AFGH PROBABLE XI:*
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Zia ur Rehman
The three most renowned bowlers in the Afgh set up have been breathing fire and Bangladesh are not able to get past this stranglehold that they are in. It saddens to see how the home side appear almost clueless but mad respect goes Afghanistan’a way. Rashid Khan, the leader of this pack already has 4 to his name at a stunning average of 12.25. Such is his dominance, that Ban are not even able to score at 3 an over against him. Similarly, Mujeeb who’s more skiddier in action has 5 to his name with an impressive average of 12.5- his economy rate of just under 4 is again baffling and shows how critical he has been to the downfall of Bangladesh.
Though the middle order of Afghanistan was not at its strongest suit, the openers pretty much covered up for that showing. Zadran and Gurbaz were a class apart and have been averaging over 80 already. If they are confident of giving another rockling start, Bangladesh will not be able to recover. They have shown a mix of Aggresive gameplay and composed stroke play that sets them apart from the masses.
*MY PREDICTIONS:*
*FOR BAN:*
Highest run getter- Litton Das/Shakib Al Hasan
Highest wicket taker- Shakib Al Hasan/Taskin Ahmed
*FOR AFGH:*
Highest run getter- Rahmatullah Gurbaz/Rahmat Shah
Highest wicket taker- Mujeeb Ur Rehman/Rashid Khan
*FOR THIS GAME:*
Afghanistan to whitewash Bangladesh