INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Opener Liton Das top-scored with 35 as Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan by six wickets in the second Twenty20 international to take the
two-match series 2-0 on Sunday.Liton laid the foundation for the win with a 67-run opening stand with Afif Hossain (24) as Bangladesh raced
to 119 for four in 16.1 overs after Taskin Ahmed&s 3-33 helped the side restrict Afghanistan to 116 for seven in a rain-reduced 17 overs,
AFP reported.Bangladesh won the opening match of the series by two wickets on Friday, and Sunday&s follow-up & both of them in the
northeastern city of Sylhet & earned them their third consecutive T20 series win, and their first against Afghanistan in three attempts.They
defeated world champions England 3-0 and Scotland 2-1 earlier this year.Offspinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman gave Afghanistan a lifeline to save the
series by removing Liton and Afif in the space of three balls after their solid stand before Azmatullah Omarzai bowled Najmul Hossain for
four.But skipper Shakib Al Hasan and young Towhid Hridoy forged a 31-run stand for the fourth wicket to prevent further collapse.&We lost
couple of wickets, but given the start we had, we were always ahead,& Shakib said at the post-match presentation ceremony.&Given the ground
conditions, I knew their spinners would have it tough.&NO EXCUSESAfghanistan captain Rashid Khan refused to make any excuses.&Weather is not
T20 should be decided on skills and we were not good enough there, especially in batting,& he said.Omarzai dismissed Towhid for 19 before
finishing with 2-17 but Shakib, with his unbeaten 18, took Bangladesh home.Shakib also played a hand with the ball to claim 2-15, and
Mustafizur Rahman claimed 2-30 as Bangladesh, electing to bowl first, made Afghanistan struggle.Rain halted play for one-and-a-half hours
after just seven overs, prompting the match officials to reduce the contest to 17 overs per side.Afghanistan were already struggling, losing
both openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (eight) and Hazratullah Zazai (four) to Taskin with 16 runs on the board.Mustafizur removed Mohammad Nabi
for 16 after play resumed, and in the next over Shakib dismissed both Ibrahim Zadran (22) and Najibullah Zadran, reducing Afghanistan to 67
for five.But Omarzai and Karim Janat put on 42 runs for the sixth wicket to revive the innings.Mustafizur ended Omarzai&s 21-ball knock of
25 forcing him to give Shamim Hossain a catch at deep third man.Janat was out to Taskin in the final over for 22.Bangladesh won the one-off
test match by a record 546 runs while Afghanistan won the three-match one-day international series 2-1.The post Bangladesh win T20 series
against Afghanistan for first time first appeared on Ariana News.
