We’ve played really well, showed good character: Jaker Ali

Bangla Press Desk:   Bangladesh captain Jaker Ali hailed his bowlers for "setting the tone" as the Tigers sealed the T20I series against Afghanistan with a game in hand, clinching a nail-biting two-wicket win in the second match at Sharjah on Friday.

The win followed Bangladesh's four-wicket triumph in the opening game, giving them a 2-0 lead in the series.

Chasing 148, Bangladesh endured a topsy-turvy innings before Nurul Hasan Sohan's unbeaten 21-ball 31 and Shoriful Islam's late cameo sealed the win in the final over. Despite the nervy finish, Jaker heaped praise on his attack for laying the foundation.

"It feels good. As a team, we've played really well in the last two games and today we were more clinical. The bowlers set the tone, the wicket was better than yesterday, and we showed good character," Jaker said at the post-match presentation.

Afghanistan's openers provided a strong start, but the Bangladesh bowlers kept a firm grip to restrict them to 147 for 5. Shoriful was outstanding with the ball, returning figures of 1 for 13, before turning match-winner with the bat. His 11 off six balls, including a boundary off the first ball of the final over, took Bangladesh across the line.

Bangladesh's chase got off to a rocky start, with Tanzid Tamim (2), Parvez Hossain, and Saif Hassan (18) all dismissed inside the Powerplay to leave them reeling at 24 for 3. Saif's promising knock ended with a brilliant catch by Sediqullah Atal off Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

A 56-run stand between Shamim Hossain and Jaker revived hopes. Shamim took on Rashid Khan with authority, while Jaker rotated the strike and found timely boundaries. But Rashid's googly trapped Jaker (32 off 25) leg-before in the 11th over, and Shamim's switch hit against Noor Ahmed backfired in the 15th, costing him his wicket for 33.

The chase wobbled again when Rashid removed Nasum Ahmed (10) before Azmatullah Omarzai struck twice in the 18th over to dismiss Saifuddin and Rishad Hossain.

With 19 needed off two overs, Sohan kept his composure, launching Noor for a six to ease the equation. Shoriful then kept his nerve in the final stages, steering Bangladesh home with two balls to spare.

BP/TD