Bangladesh spinners weave their magic; Afghanistan vow to bounce back
The pair took combined figures of 6/55 in 17 overs, removing four of the Afghanistan top five and playing a huge part in restricting the first innings total to 156 all out.
And, with little to defend, Afghanistan’s tweakers had no such joy.
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“We didn't expect that,” Mehidy said of the turning conditions on a Dharamsala wicket where seam has typically dominated. “You know actually from the start, Shakib and me did very well. And the first few balls, we got a little bit of turn. And after that information was passed on by Shakib that the ball was turning.
“So, if you bowl on the right track, it might be good for a spinner and obviously for the pace bowlers also. So, we just discussed and thought about how to bowl in these conditions.
“The way the bowlers bowled was really well. From the start, our fast bowlers didn't bowl that well, but they came back strongly.”
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Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott agrees that the contrasting nature of the spin rewards were a key feature of the match, and says that part of the reasoning lies on the way that Afghanistan’s batters played the turning ball.
“We didn't play the spinners at all well, and they played our spinners okay,” Trott said.
“It just was stark contrast to the way that we played the Bangladesh spinners - no disrespect to them at all. They bowled well, they're fine bowlers, but we allowed them to bowl well.
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“I thought it did turn a little bit as well, it sort of held up," Trott added. "I thought if the game had gone another 20 overs or 12 overs in our innings and then a little bit longer, I think the ball would have spun towards the end of the innings as well.
“I think when you lose nine wickets for 73 there is a problem, yeah. So, the decision-making, the stability, certainly when you get bowled out in 38 overs, that was the problem today.”
Afghanistan face a tricky set of tests next up, with fixtures against India and England ahead, and Trott has urged the team to bounce back after their initial disappointment.
“I’d like to see us bounce back. I think, obviously, we know the areas we need to improve. And we've got two big games in Delhi now against India and then England," Trott said.
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“We travel tomorrow, have a couple of practices and then a big match against India, which is going to be a great spectacle. I know the boys will be really, really up for it.”
While Afghanistan travel to Delhi for their next match on Wednesday, Bangladesh will remain in Dharamsala for a meeting with England on Tuesday.