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On October 7, Saturday, Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan comprehensively by six wickets in their opening match of the ODI World Cup 2023, to start the campaign on a high note. At the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala, the quarter-finalists from 2015 edition of the flagship tournament were in scintillating form from start to finish, brushing aside the challenge of the Asian rivals with ultimate ease.
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For the unversed, the captain of Bangladesh, Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and decided to field first against Afghanistan in decent batting conditions. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran provided a good start at the top of the order inside the powerplay, before the Bangladesh captain broke their partnership for 47 runs.
In the 25th over of the Afghanistan innings, the scorecard read 112-2 with Rahmat Shah and the captain Hashmatullah Shahidi at the crease. But, from that point onwards, the bowlers of Bangladesh came on glued, to pick up eight wickets for just 44 runs to bundle the opposition out for 156 runs in the 38th over.
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The spin duo of the captain Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz got three wickets each as part of the carnage that ensued at the HPCA Stadium in the afternoon. The run chase for Bangladesh didn’t start well either, with the openers Tanzid Hasan and Litton Das getting dismissed within the first seven overs.
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz put together a 97 run second wicket stand to bring Bangladesh out of some early trouble. They went past their respective fifties to help their team register the first win of the ODI World Cup 2023 by six wickets, with more than 15 overs to spare.