Mehidy and Shanto slam tons to power Bangladesh to 334

Shanto followed up his fighting 89 against Sri Lanka with a brisk second ODI century, while Mehidy posted his highest score in the format before retiring hurt due to cramps in his left arm.

Mehidy, opening the batting for the first time in ODIs since the 2018 Asia Cup final, took his time to settle in and it was Mohammad Naim who dominated the powerplay. Naim attacked from the first over, slapping Fazalhaq Farooqi’s second delivery through point for the first boundary of the match.

Bangladesh were ticking along at around a run a ball in the powerplay and almost completed it without taking any damage but for a terrific wrong’un from Mujeeb Ur Rahman that turned past Naim’s outside edge to crash into his off-stump.

Towhid Hridoy surprisingly came out at No. 3 ahead of Shanto, who was Bangladesh’s standout performer with the bat at one drop in their defeat to Sri Lanka. But Shanto was in quickly enough after Hridoy edged Gulbadin Naib second ball and Ibrahim Zadran took a low catch to his right at first slip.

Shanto took five deliveries to start scoring – a boundary through the leg side – and then found rhythm, hitting Naib for back-to-back fours. Mehidy and Shanto proceeded to wear Afghanistan down with a 194-run partnership off 190 deliveries.

Afghanistan’s star spinner, Rashid Khan, hurt himself while fielding and was introduced only in the 17th over. He started with a maiden but could only bowl four overs on the trot and was reintroduced for a second spell in the 32nd over.

Bangladesh had injury concerns of their own, with Mehidy struggling throughout the innings and Shanto also pulling up while completing a run, but both batters fought on in the Lahore heat.

Mehidy reached his fifty in the 24th over; Shanto pulled Farooqi for a six in the 31st to get to his half-century.

Mehidy got to his century off 115 deliveries, scampering for a single after miscuing a pull off Naib. He finished that over by pulling between deep midwicket and long-on for a boundary.

When Rashid came back for a third spell, Shanto pulled him tothe boundary to move to the nineties. He pulled him for another boundary that bounced in front of substitute fielder Noor Ahmad at deep midwicket and burst through his hands, as Bangladesh took 12 from the over.