Nasum, Liton help Bangladesh end T20 losing streak

Bangladesh left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed and batsman Liton Das helped the team halt an eight-match losing streak in Twenty20 internationals with a resounding 61-run win over Afghanistan in Dhaka on Thursday.

Nasum returned with career-best figures of 4 for 10 as Bangladesh bowled out Afghanistan for 94 runs in 17.4 overs after Liton’s 60 off 44 balls guided the side to 155-8 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

The win ended Bangladesh’s long streak of defeats in T20Is starting from the Twenty20 World Cup in Oman and the UAE last year and gave the side a 1-0 lead in a two-match series.

Nasum took four wickets in his only spell, starting the bowling for Bangladesh and helping the hosts take control of the game by reducing Afghanistan to 20 for four in just five overs.

Najibullah Zadran and skipper Mohammad Nabi put on a 37-run fifth-wicket stand before being bowled by Shakib Al Hasan.

Zadran made 27 off 26 balls after wicketkeeper Liton dropped him on four. Azmatullah Omarzai put up a late fightback, scoring 20 off 18 balls, but it was insufficient.

“Pleasing to see how the boys fought in the middle with the bat, ball. The energy was good too. We thought the total was defendable. Nasum bowled really well, it was a match-changing spell,” said Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah Riyad.

Afghanistan’s Nabi lamented the loss of early wickets.

“We thought we could chase it but threw away our wickets in the powerplay which cost us the game,” he said.

After Mahmudullah chose to bat first, left-arm bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi and leg-spinner Rashid Khan struck early to reduce Bangladesh to 25 for 2.

Liton, on the other hand, struck four fours and two sixes to keep the home side on track.

Afif Hossain scored 25 off 24 balls and shared 46 runs for the fifth wicket with Liton.

Farooqi ended Liton’s fine innings as Azmatullah took the catch at fine leg in the 17th over.

Farooqi and Azmatullah claimed 2-27 and 2-31 respectively for Afghanistan.

The second match of the series will be held at the same venue on Saturday.