Miraz rues missing 40 runs as batting woes haunt Tigers again

Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz admitted his side were at least 40 runs short after yet another underwhelming batting display led to a five-wicket defeat in the first ODI of the three-match series against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

The Tigers' innings never quite clicked on a sluggish surface that offered grip and turn for the spinners. Rashid Khan was, once again, the difference-maker, returning figures of 3-38 to dismantle Bangladesh's middle order. Left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote (1-32) removed the in-form Saif Hassan, while youngster A. M. Ghazanfar (2-55) mopped up the tail. Pacer Azmatullah Omarzai (3-40) also shone with the new ball, dismantling Bangladesh's top order as the hosts bowled out the visitors for just 221 in 48.5 overs before cruising to the target with 17 balls to spare.

"We lost 40 runs on this wicket," Miraz said after the match. "I mentioned that if we could get 260-plus, it would definitely be better because we're a good bowling side and don't usually give away many runs. The problem is at the back end, we're not building partnerships."

He pointed to recurring issues at the top of the order and an inability to sustain pressure with the bat. "We always lose too many wickets in the first 15 overs," the skipper added. "It's been difficult to bat on this wicket, it was turning a little and we struggled in that period. The way Towhid Hridoy played was really good, but we're not getting partnerships, and that's the problem."

Miraz himself was among the runs, scoring his ninth ODI fifty after coming in at number five. However, his innings lacked tempo. He needed 74 balls to reach the milestone and finished with 60 off 87 deliveries, including just one four and a six, before being trapped lbw by Rashid.

Hridoy, too, laboured to a half-century. His 56 off 85 balls came with three sixes and a four, but little urgency or conviction. The duo's 101-run stand for the fourth wicket repaired early damage after Bangladesh slumped to 53-3 but their cautious approach left the innings stagnant. Both fell in quick succession, leaving the lower order exposed and the innings without a chance for a late flourish.

The pattern has become all too familiar for Bangladesh. Batting remains their most persistent concern, with the Tigers yet to score above 250 in four ODIs this year when batting first. In the other two, they failed to reach even 200 while chasing.

Afghanistan, in contrast, approached the chase with composure. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (50 off 76) and Ibrahim Zadran (23 off 25) laid the platform with a 52-run stand before Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah (50 off 70) added another 78 for the second wicket. Omarzai chipped in with a brisk 44-ball 40, and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi's steady 33 off 46 balls guided his team home comfortably.

The second ODI will be played at the same venue on Saturday, with Bangladesh left to find answers to their deepening batting crisis.