Abu Dhabi : Birthday boy Rashid Khan smashed a superb unbeaten half century and shared 95 runs with Gulbadin Naib for the unconquered eighth wicket as Afghanistan made a stunning fightback to post a competitive 255 for seven in their Asia Cup here on Thursday.
Opting to bat, Afghanistan were initially struggling against a disciplined Bangladesh bowling attack led by veteran left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan, who grabbed four wickets for 42 runs, but Rashid (57 not out) and Gulbadin (42 not out) turned the tables in the final 10 overs.
The duo added 97 runs in the final 10 overs with a flurry of boundaries which undid all the earlier good work by the Bangladeshi bowlers. They came together in the 41st over at 160 for 7 and remained unconquered till the end.
Rashid, one of the premier leg-spinners in the world, played the role of the batting anchor for his side Thursday as he hit eight fours and one six in his 32-ball unbeaten innings.
Gulbadin faced 38 balls and hit five fours. Rashid, who turns 20 today, hit four boundaries in the final over bowled by Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza to end the innings in style with a four.
Earlier in the innings, Hashmatullah Shahidi kept the Afghans in the hunt with a fighting 92-ball 58
after his side were reduced to 28 for two in the sixth over itself.