Miraz- Mahmudullah help Bangladesh to post a challenging total

An opening partnership that crossed 50 runs meant a decent start for Bangladesh. However, the momentum abruptly faltered, as the Afghan attack left them struggling, with four wickets lost for just 19 runs. With the team on the verge of collapse, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, standing in as captain in the absence of Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Mahmudullah Riyad steadied the innings. The two built a careful partnership, which ultimately became the backbone of Bangladesh's fighting total.

In the third and final ODI at Dubai's Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday, Bangladesh scored 244 for 8 wickets. Given the circumstances, this total should provide some satisfaction. Bangladesh had lost four wickets for 72 runs. From the rubble, Miraz and Mahmudullah put together a 145-run partnership off 188 balls, Bangladesh's fourth-highest for the fifth wicket and second-highest abroad. During this superb stand, Mahmudullah reached his fifth ODI century.

The story of Bangladesh's innings could have been different. Winning the toss and opting to bat, they started strong. Openers Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Soumya Sarkar put on 53 runs in 8.3 overs. But when this partnership broke, the batting lineup quickly crumbled, with four batters returning to the pavilion between 53 and 72 runs: Soumya, Tanzid, Zakir Hasan, and Towhid Hridoy.

Soumya made a smooth 24 off 23 balls, hitting three boundaries, while Tanzid scored 19 off 29 balls with three boundaries as well. Zakir, who returned to the XI after over a year, was run out for 4 off 7 balls. Once a consistent performer, Hridoy has been struggling in recent matches. Today, he managed only 7 runs off 14 balls.

With the team in dire straits, Miraz and Mahmudullah took responsibility to rebuild. On his captaincy debut, Miraz stepped up as a true leader. Initially taking a cautious approach to ease the pressure, he found strong support in Mahmudullah, and the two successfully began to score once they had settled.

Miraz was dismissed as the sixth batter after a valuable 66 off 119 balls. His innings ranks as the third-highest by a Bangladeshi player on ODI captaincy debut. Najmul Hossain Shanto tops the list with 76 runs, followed by Aminul Islam Bulbul with 70 runs.

After Miraz's departure, Mahmudullah kept fighting until the very last ball. On the cusp of his fifth ODI century, he was run out for 98 while attempting a second run on the final delivery. His dazzling innings of 98 off 98 balls included seven fours and three sixes. Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai was particularly challenging for Bangladesh, taking 4 wickets for 37 runs in his 7 overs – his career-best. Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan each claimed a wicket.