Sports Desk:

After sweeping Afghanistan 3–0 in the T20Is, Bangladesh stumbled in the opening match of the ODI series, extending their struggles in the 50-over format with a five-wicket defeat in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

The loss once again exposed Bangladesh’s familiar batting frailties. The top order failed to provide a solid start, and despite a fighting fourth-wicket stand between Towhid Hridoy and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the Tigers fell short of a competitive total.

The pair added 100 runs in a patient partnership, steadying the innings after early setbacks. But their resistance was broken by a moment of miscommunication that proved costly.

In the 36th over, Hridoy pushed a delivery from Nangeyalia Kharoti towards cover and hesitated for a run. When Hashmatullah Shahidi fumbled the ball, Hridoy took off, but Miraz stayed put — leaving the 24-year-old stranded mid-pitch. The run-out ended on 154 for 4, and Bangladesh never recovered, eventually bowled out for 221 inside their 50 overs.

Reflecting on the dismissal, Hridoy didn’t shy away from accepting responsibility. Speaking at the post-match press conference, he admitted that his wicket marked the turning point of the game.

“Yes, I think it was a hundred percent the turning point,” Hridoy said candidly. “From that situation, we had brought the team back to a good position, and getting run out like that was a crime. It was a poor decision from me. Hopefully, if I face a similar situation again, I’ll handle it better.”

Hridoy scored 56 off 85 balls, but his departure triggered a collapse from which Bangladesh couldn’t recover.

The young right-hander, who has now been run out four times in international cricket this year, also acknowledged that it’s a recurring issue he must fix soon.

“Maybe the problem lies within me,” he admitted. “I have to find out what’s going wrong and work on it. Inshallah, I’ll try to come out of it as quickly as possible.”

While Miraz’s men will look to regroup ahead of the second ODI, Hridoy’s honest reflection summed up Bangladesh’s day — moments of promise undone by avoidable mistakes.