Afghanistan, which lost to India in a thrilling last-over finish, will be eyeing a maiden win in World Cup 2019 when it takes on Bangladesh at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton on Monday.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, will have to win all its remaining matches to keep its slim semifinal hopes alive. The Mashrafe Mortaza-led side, which is currently sixth in the standings with five points, has given a good account of itself especially in the batting department.
After chasing down 322 against the West Indies in just 41.3 overs, Bangladesh fought hard against Australia, finishing on 333-8 -- its highest one-day international total -- but fell short of the target by 48 runs.
The team has promoted Shakib Al Hasan up the order, and the all-rounder has reposed the faith by amassing 425 runs. He is just 22 runs behind Australia’s David Warner -- the tournament’s top scorer.
Bowling, however, has been an area of concern, with the team conceding 300-plus runs in its last three outings.
Spinning a web
Afghanistan skipper Gulbadin Naib will be hoping his spinners recreate the magic against Bangladesh -- just like it did against India. However, the batsmen need to show character and bat longer to stand a chance against Bangladesh.
With the weather likely to be warm, the dryness of the pitch could bring spin into play -- just like it did during the India-Afghanistan fixture.
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