Bangladesh bowling against Afghanistan in match for pride

Sports Desk: Bangladesh are bowling against Afghanistan in the third and final T20I at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Dehradun, India.

Skipper Asghar Stanikzai won the toss and chose to bat first in aiming to whitewash the Tigers.

With the series already lost after Bangladesh fell to 45-run and six-wicket defeats in the first two matches, this match is not much more than a chance to salvage some pride from a series that many would have expected them to win, or at least contest on even footing.

However, Bangladesh have been a distant second so far with Afghanistan's top-ranked leg-spinner Rashid Khan wreaking havoc in both matches, taking a total of seven wickets in seven overs.

Bangladesh have made three changes to their lineup, dropping misfiring batsmen Mosaddek Hossain, Sabbir Rahman and pacer Rubel Hossain -- who gave away 20 runs in the penultimate over of the second match, speeding Bangladesh to a loss in an otherwise tight game. Replacing them are hard-hitting all-rounder Ariful Haque, off-spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz and pacer Abu Jayed.

Both the previous matches hinged on a single over from the irresistible Rashid, who dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim and Sabbir Rahman off consecutive deliveries in the first T20I and then took three wickets in the 16th over of Bangladesh's innings in the second T20I, including those of Tamim Iqbal and Mosaddek Hossain in consecutive deliveries to once again break the Tigers' backs.

Much will depend on how Bangladesh will be able to handle Rashid, as well as Afghanistan's two other spinners in Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Bangladesh Playing XI: Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan (C), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Ariful Haque, Abu Hider, Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Nazmul Islam, Abul Hasan

Afghanistan Playing XI: Mohammad Shahzad, Usman Ghani, Asghar Stanikzai (C), Shafiqullah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Samiullah Shenwari, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Karim Janat,  Aftab Alam
 

risingbd/Dhaka/June 07, 2018/A K Azad