The word one could be looking for to describe Bangladesh's status in the ongoing Afghanistan series is desolation. The team may have suffered sour defeats before but after recent records established them as a high-flying ODI side, they have now stumbled at home with a series defeat and the team morale has taken a hit.

Bangladesh and Afghanistan appear to be at opposite ends of the spectrum heading into the third and final ODI at Chattogram today. A confident Afghanistan are living in the present while Bangladesh appear to be hoping for the future, characteristic of Bangladesh cricket's culture when things do not go their way.

World number three Daniil Medvedev reached his first Wimbledon quarter-final on Monday when Czech opponent Jiri Lehecka retired with an injury.

Afghanistan’s bowling coach Hamid Hassan said that his side was one step ahead in terms of playing positive cricket, an aspect of their performance the former cricketer believes helped their cause in unsettling Bangladesh as the visitors cemented a maiden ODI series win over the Tigers.

Bangladesh cricket has been in a state of total chaos over the past 48 hours or so since the retirement saga surrounding Tamim Iqbal in the midst of their three-match ODI series against Afghanistan and that reflected on the field yesterday in the second ODI in Chattogram.

Afghanistan won the second ODI by a record margin of 142 runs against Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Saturday.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was trapped lbw by Afghanistan off-spinner Mohammad Nabi leaving the hosts five down for 71 in pursuit of 331 in the second ODI of the three-match series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Saturday.

Bangladesh lost three wickets within the first nine overs of the innings while chasing Afghanistan 331 in the second ODI of the three-match series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran scored centuries to help their side to 331 for nine in the second ODI of the three-match series against Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Saturday.

Bangladesh pacer Ebadot Hossain limped off the field after falling over backwards while coming to bowl the third delivery of the 42nd over in the second ODI against Afghanistan at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Saturday. 

Bangladesh managed some reprieve as they picked up three quick wickets after a hammering in the initial stages by Afghanistan in the second ODI against Afghanistan at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Saturday.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan provided the Tigers with their first breakthrough by dismissing Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the second of the three-match series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Saturday.

Afghanistan openers Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz recorded the the highest-ever ODI stand for the country as they put on 223 runs after the completion of the 34th over in the second of the three-match series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Saturday.   

Soon after arriving for their practice session in the morning, the Bangladesh team appeared to be in good spirits as they warmed up with a football session. All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was seen telling one of the other players to move, perhaps to initiate better link-up play and the kind of vibrancy that game was played with clearly showed they were enjoying themselves.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan Papon said that the board still considers Tamim Iqbal as their ODI captain and that it will wait and hope for a change of heart from the opener, who had shocked the nation earlier on Thursday with the news of his retirement from international cricket.

Right-handed batter Rony Talukdar was named as replacement for former Bangladesh ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal, who announced his retirement on Thursday.

Bangladesh goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico was pleasantly surprised to have won the best goalkeeper award despite his team being eliminated from the semifinals of the recently concluded SAFF Championship.

Bangladesh ODI skipper Tamim Iqbal said he knew there was a risk involved in playing the first ODI of the Afghanistan series, as he was not feeling a 'hundred per cent'. His decision was to learn how much he was able to cope with facing the challenge of playing Afghanistan in an international game while worrying about injury concerns.

Expectations were sky-high as Bangladesh came into the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan on a phenomenal run of form in the 50-over format and following a record 546-run win in the lone Test against the same opposition, but that sense of superiority was dented by a quality bowling attack from the visitors as Bangladesh could post just 169 for nine in their 43 overs in the first ODI in Chattogram yesterday.

Afghanistan clinched the first ODI of the three-match series against Bangladesh by 17 runs (DLS) after rain interrupted play for the third time at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Wednesday.