Afghanistan have reached the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup with a dramatic eight-run victory over Bangladesh under the Duckworth Lewis Stern System at St Vincent, joining India as the qualifiers from Group One and sending Australia home.
Bangladesh also had a chance to progress or send Australia through with a victory, but the Afghans dismissed them for 105 to take the win they needed to set up a first World Cup semi against South Africa at Trinidad on Wednesday.
Afghanistan hopes were dented, when they were restricted to a modest 115/5, but skipper Rashid Khan took 4/23 and Naveen-ul-Haq 4/26 in a defiant bowling effort that delivered victory.
The last few overs were high drama, played out well past midnight local time, with Bangladesh needing roughly a run a ball, and the DLS calculations in case of more rain changing with every wicket and boundary.
Naveen delivered the coup de grace in the penultimate over by bowling Taskin Ahmed and trapping Mustafizur Rahman in front off consecutive balls, triggering tearful celebrations from his teammates.
"It's unbelievable, I don't have any words to describe my feelings," said Rashid. "Definitely back home, everyone is so, so happy for this big achievement for us being in the semi-final.
"We have to push ourselves for the people back home, for their happiness, to make the country proud, so that was the discussion we had and everyone did a wonderful job."
In the 12th over, Gulbadin Naib raised eyebrows, when he collapsed to ground just after coach Jonathan Trott had indicated to his players they should slow down, and wait for a rain shower to intensify and stop play.
Rashid, who had looked unimpressed with his teammate on the field, says the allrounder had suffered from cramp. Gulbadin spent a couple of overs off the field, before returning to claim the eighth Bangladesh wicket, sending Tanzim Hasan Sakib back off a thick top-edge to cover.
India, who beat Australia by 24 runs to leave the qualification hopes of the 2021 champions hanging by a thread, will take on titleholders England in the second semi-final at Guyana on Thursday.
Rashid won the toss and elected to bat first, sending out the same team that stunned Australia at the same Arnos Vale Ground to give themselves a shot at the semis.
Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran scored a third century partnership of the tournament to build the foundation for that upset, and Bangladesh were desperate to separate them quickly.
The Bangladesh bowlers made scoring mighty hard, as they combined for 66 dot balls over the innings, but they were unable to break the partnership until the 11th over, when it was worth 59 runs.
Rishad Hossain (3/26) did the damage by having Ibrahim caught on the offside for 18 and the leg-spinner returned to remove Gurbaz for 43, as Afghanistan collapsed from 84/1 to 93/5 in 11 balls.
Afghan skipper Rashid rallied with three sixes in his 10-ball 19 and was so desperate to score, he hurled his bat down the wicket at his batting partner Karim Janat in fury, when refused a second run in the final over.
After a brief rain delay, Bangladesh set off at a fair lick, as they chased the win in 12.1 overs that they needed to get their run-rate up.
Left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed Tanzid Hasan leg before wicket in the second over, and Naveen removed Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shakib Al Hasan in successive balls, before another shower swept in with the score at 31/3.
Litton Das and Soumya Sarkar bumped the score up to 46/3 by the end of the powerplay, but Rashid brought himself on and bowled the latter for 10 from his fourth delivery.
Rashid came back on to dismiss Towhid Hridoy (14), captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Hossain - the latter two in successive balls - reducing Bangladesh to 80/7 just before another shower forced the players off again.
Bangladesh's target was reduced to 114 in 19 overs after the break, but their hopes of reaching the semi-finals were now gone, although opener Litton Das stood firm, even as his batting partners departed in the late drama, to score 54 not out.
Afghanistan 115/5 (Rahmunullah 43, Rashid 19no; Rishad 3/26) Bangladesh 105 (Liton 54no; Rashid 4/23, Naveen 4/26)
Reuters
