Afghanistan deliver Asia Cup shock

Afghanistan earned its first win over a major team when it humbled host Bangladesh by 32 runs in its first Asia Cup.

Bangladesh-Afghanistan scorecard

Afghanistan innings M Shahzad lbw b Rubel 2 K Sadiq c & b Sunny 12 N Zadran b Sunny 21 A Stanikzai not out 90 N Mangal run out 24 M Nabi c Nasir b Haque 7 S Shenwari run out 81 M Ashraf not out 0 Extras (b 1, lb 6, w 10) 17  Total (6 wickets; 50 overs) 254 Fall of wickets 1-6, 2-40, 3-43, 4-74, 5-90, 6-254 Bangladesh innings A Haque lbw b Hassan 1 S Rahman b Zadran 0 M Haque b Shenwari 50 M Rahim lbw b Nabi 23 N Hossain c Shenwari b Ashraf 41 N Islam c Mangal b Hassan 35 Z Rahman b Nabi 41 A Razzak run out 0 A Sunny c Shahzad b Zadran 0 R Hossain c Mangal b Nabi 17 S Gazi not out 2 Extras (b 4, lb 2, w 6) 12  Total (all out; 47.5 overs) 222 Fall of wickets 1-1, 2-1, 3-69, 4-88, 5-161, 6-165, 7-165, 8-165, 9-205, 10-222 (Rubel Hossain, 47.5 ov)

Afghanistan bowled out Bangladesh for 222 in the 48th over after scoring 254-6 at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.

Captain Mohammad Nabi led by example with 3-44, and Hamid Hassan and Shapoor Zadran picked up two wickets apiece including the openers, reducing Bangladesh to 1-2.

Bangladesh recovered somewhat, then lost four wickets for four runs, slumping from 161-4 to 165-8 in the 41st over against a team playing only its fourth One-Day International against a topflight side.

Afghanistan also recovered remarkably while batting, from 90-5. That brought in Samiullah Shenwari, who combined with Asghar Stanikzai in a 164-run partnership until the second-to-last ball of the innings.

Shenwari smashed 81 off 69 balls with 10 boundaries, and Stanikzai, the glue of the innings, finished 90 not out from 103 balls, with six fours and three sixes.

Shenwari’s legspin also was key, as he bowled Mominul Haque, Bangladesh’s top-scorer. Hassan and Zadran worried the Bangladesh batsmen with pace and controlled aggression. Hassan took 2-26 and Zadran 2-39.

After they removed the openers in the first two overs, Nabi claimed his counterpart Mushfiqur Rahgim for 23.

Shenwari jolted Bangladesh further by taking out Haque at 88-4. Naeem Islam and Nasir Hossain calmed Bangladesh, as the Afghan fielders failed to pouch high catches.

Hossain survived four dropped catches before he departed for 41. His dismissal sparked a sensational collapse.

Ziaur Rahman also scored 41, but he had a slow when Bangladesh was already eight wickets down. He delayed the inevitable with four boundaries and three sixes.

India will take on Pakistan on Sunday.