Farooqi provides the spark as Afghanistan beat Bangladesh in the rain

Afghanistan 83 for 2 (Ibrahim 41*, Shakib 1-9) beat Bangladesh 169 for 9 (Hridoy 51, Farooqi 3-24) by 17 runs (DLS method)

In between three rain breaks, Afghanistan sneaked a fine bowling performance to beat Bangladesh by 17 runs, to take a 1-0 lead in the ODI series. Play was suspended in Chattogram for a total of three hours and 15 minutes, reducing the game to 43-overs-a-side. But even that wasn’t possible. A final downpour at 9.33pm forced the players off the field with the visitors on 83 for 2 in 21.4 overs, and since that was 17 runs more than the DLS par score at that point of the innings, they were declared the winners.

The groundstaff of the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, who were tireless in peeling and unpeeling the large tarps that covered most of the 30-yard circle to protect it from the rain, deserve high praise. Credit should also go to the near capacity crowd that struck around for most of the game, despite there being very little overhead cover at the ground. They had to scamper to the staircases to save themselves from the rain that swept in from south.

The players they came to see though didn’t do them any favours. Bangladesh, even when they were going well, were barely nudging five an over. During their collapse, the run rate dropped to three.