Sports Desk

There’s an old saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

The going truly did get tough for Mahmudullah in the series-deciding third ODI at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday. This was more than just another match for the veteran all-rounder; it was a battle to salvage both pride and place.

Mahmudullah rises to the occasion The Silent Killer’s bat had been quiet for a while, with single-digit scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3 in his previous four ODI innings, leaving Bangladesh vulnerable in a key middle-order slot.

The pressure was building, weighing heavily not only on Mahmudullah but also on a team missing stalwarts like captain Najmul Hossain and seasoned campaigner Mushfiqur Rahim due to injuries. Yet, in the hours leading up to the match, he seemed almost carefree – relaxed and enjoying time with teammates during warm-ups, as if he had nothing to prove.

That calm exterior soon translated into resolve on the field. When Mahmudullah walked in, Bangladesh had already lost four quick wickets, with the match hanging in a precarious balance.

What followed was a gutsy innings that nearly took him to his fifth ODI hundred, missing it by just two runs – a familiar “so close yet so far.” But numbers couldn’t capture the heart of this knock or the character it revealed. This was a performance that had class written all over it.

Under immense pressure, Mahmudullah turned the game around, answering critics and lifting his team with one of his most resilient displays in recent outings.

When it was time to face the bowlers, he didn’t just dig in; he dominated.

Playing shots all around the ground, he maintained impressive control, with 87% of his innings executed flawlessly, marking his return to form with style.

Each shot was a statement, especially his powerful six over wide long-on off Mohammad Nabi, which set the tone for him and how he would approach. Mahmudullah jumped down the crease with authority, dispatching the ball into the stands with pure, effortless timing – a sight that seemed to invigorate the Bangladesh camp and give them a crucial momentum shift.

Over the course of his run-a-ball innings, he hammered seven boundaries and three towering sixes, anchoring Bangladesh’s innings to 244/8 and defying Afghanistan’s bowling attack.

Though he fell just two runs short of a century, his performance didn’t go unnoticed. As he walked back, a few Afghan players extended congratulatory handshakes, a gesture acknowledging the quality of his knock.

While Mahmudullah stole the limelight, there was another player rescuing Bangladesh. Mehidy Hasan, the stand-in skipper on the day, played his 100th ODI and scored a slow yet useful 66. He was the primary aggressor when Mahmudullah walked to the crease after Bangladesh had lost four quick wickets.

Mehidy saw off the shaky period, hitting a few boundaries before taking on the anchor’s role as Mahmudullah scored freely. It was a true captain’s knock from Mehidy, officially leading the side for the first time in any format.