Sahibzada Farhan batted like he belonged at this level and was a man possessed. Sahibzada Farhan coming into the side in place of Fakhar Zaman made the most of his opportunity and helped Pakistan post a healthy first innings total before the bowlers did their job. After being put into bat first, Pakistan rode on Sahibzada Farhan’s 63 alongside Hasan Nawaz’s 33 and Mohammad Nawaz’s 27 to post 178/7 in 20 overs.
Looking to chase 179, to complete a rare whitewash against Pakistan, Bangladesh collapsed under pressure losing 5 wickets inside the powerplay with Salman Mirza leading the way with 3/20 in 4 overs while the others did their job efficiently. It was a game that had wholesale changes for both sides with this being a dead rubber and Pakistan turned up and showed the are dangerous with a facile 74-run win to lose the series 1-2.
Sahibzada Farhan’s 63 propels Pakistan to a healthy 178/7.Â
New opening pair of Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub walked out to bat for Pakistan. Farhan made his intentions clear by hitting a maximum and a boundary off the first over bowled by Mahedi Hasan. Shoriful Islam gave bonus runs away via wides before Farhan used his wrists to flick it over backward square leg for the maximum. Farhan was on a roll as he hit Taskin Ahmed for a boundary as well. Nasum Ahmed was also greeted by a boundary as Farhan looked like a man possessed. Farhan continued to get boundaries and faced bulk of the bowling.
Saim Ayub soon joined the boundary bandwagon as he hit Taskin Ahmed for two boundaries in the 6th over before going off strike and Farhan hit him for another maximum as Pakistan ended the powerplay at a solid 57/0 in 6 overs. Farhan continued his stroke-play by hitting Mehidy Hasan Miraz for two consecutive sixes and soon brought up his half-century off 29 balls at the end of the 7th over. Nasum was slapped hard for a boundary and even got hit for a maximum by Saim Ayub. But Nasum finally provided the breakthrough for Bangladesh as he got rid of Ayub.
Nasum bowled it fuller and outside off-stump. Ayub went down on one knee to slog sweep it away but mistimed it towards deep midwicket where Shamim Hossain made no mistake and took a good catch. Mohammad Haris came out to bat next. Saifuddin bowled a quiet over while Haris survived a LBW call against Nasum by reviewing it at the right time and got the decision overturned. Haris also survived a stumping chance in the same over. At the end of 10 overs at the halfway stage, Pakistan were well-placed at 86/1 when Drinks were called into the field.
Haris was riding his luck as he was dropped by Nasum Ahmed off Shoriful Islam which made Shoriful furious. Farhan then got a streaky boundary away off Shoriful Islam. But Nasum finally had his man as he dismissed the big fish and set batter Sahibzada Farhan. Nasum bowled a good length ball angling in at the leg stump, Farhan moved leg side and went for his go-to shot which is the heave over midwicket. He mistimed it and the ball goes aerially to midwicket as Mahedi Hasan came forward to complete the catch as Farhan departed for 63 off 41 balls with 6 fours and 5 sixes to his name.
Hasan Nawaz came in to join Haris at the crease. Soon, Pakistan brought up their 100 in 12.3 overs. Hasan Nawaz made his intentions clear as he hit Mahedi Hasan for a huge six and followed that up with a boundary. Haris survived a close run out call by getting back at the crease in time. But his luck ran out as Taskin Ahmed had his man. Taskin bowled a good length ball outside off-stump. Haris covered his off-stump and went for a big heave over midwicket. He got a leading edge flying to deep third man as Nasum Ahmed took the catch as Haris departed for 5 off 14 balls.
Captain Salman Ali Agha walked out to bat next. Hasan Nawaz then hit Taskin Ahmed for a big six. Shoriful Islam was not spared either as Hasan hit him for another maximum. But Hasan’s innings was cut short thanks to a magnificent catch from Mahedi Hasan for 33 off 17 balls laced with a boundary and 3 sixes. Shoriful bowled a good length ball on off-stump, Nawaz looked to go over mid-off but got it off the cue end of the bat. Mahedi went a few steps back to his left from mid-off position and took the reverse cap to tumble over but take it cleanly as the 4th wicket fell for Pakistan.
Hussain Talat came into the crease and got off the mark as Pakistan after 15 overs were 132/4 looking good to reach 180+. Talat’s stay was a short one as Saifuddin had his man. He bowled a length ball at the off-stump, Talat looked to cut this one through backward point and got a thick outside edge to Litton Das who took a regulation catch. The front foot no ball was checked, but it was a fair delivery as Talat departed for 1. Mohammad Nawaz came out to bat next.
Captain Salman Agha got into the act by hitting a maximum off Mahedi Hasan. Mohammad Nawaz made his intentions clear straightaway as he hit Shoriful for consecutive boundaries in the 18th over. He then carried on his merry ways by hitting two consecutive sixes off Saifuddin to put the bowler under so much pressure that he bowled a no ball. 19 runs came off the 19th over as Pakistan were 173/5 in 19 overs.
Taskin Ahmed struck in the first ball of the final over getting rid of Mohammad Nawaz for 27 off 16 balls laced with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name. He bowled a seam up length ball angling outside off, Nawaz looked to go over the long-off region. He mistimed it and the ball flew towards the deep where Naim took the catch. Faheem Ashraf came out to bat next and got off the mark with a streaky boundary before he too fell to Taskin Ahmed who had 2 wickets in the over.
Taskin bowled a fullish delivery at the leg and middle stump. Ashraf cleared his front leg and whipped it away but not with the required timing. The ball went towards cow corner where Tanzid Hasan patrolling at midwicket ran to his right and took the catch. Ashraf departed for 4 off 2 balls as Abbas Afridi came in next. Just one run came off the last 3 balls as Pakistan ended with 178/7 with Taskin giving away only 5 in his final over. 11 extras given by the fielding side.
It was a hard toil for the Bangladesh bowlers in Mirpur. Taskin Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers in the end with figures of 3/38 in 4 overs. Nasum Ahmed bowled an economical spell of 2/22 in 4 overs. Shoriful Islam picked up a wicket in his 1/39 in 4 overs. Mohammad Saifuddin had a decent outing with the ball with figures of 1/28 in 4 overs. Mahedi Hasan was wicketless in his 3 overs for 36 runs while Mehidy Hasan Miraz bowled an over for 14 runs. This meant Bangladesh had a target of 179 to win the match and clean sweep the series 3-0.
Salman Mirza’s 3-wicket haul decimates Bangladesh
Tanzid Hasan and Mohammad Naim came out to open the batting for Bangladesh. The hosts were on the back foot straightaway as Tanzid Hasan was caught behind on a successful review off Salman Mirza. Mirza dragged the length back from fuller length, Tanzid came down the track to slap it over covers, but the extra bounce beats him. Haris takes the catch and a faint spike was shown on UltraEdge. The umpire reversed his decision and Tanzid went for a silver duck. Litton Das the captain came to the crease and got off the mark with a boundary.
Faheem Ashraf then dented Bangladesh more by getting rid of Litton Das. He bowled it fuller at the off-stump line, Litton covered his stumps and then went for an on-drive through mid-on. The ball nipped back in and sneaked through the bat and pad gap to uproot the middle stump as Das fell for 8 off 8 balls. Mehidy Hasan Miraz came out to bat next. He got off the mark with a boundary and hit Mirza for a boundary through improvisation through fine leg.
But Miraz did not last long as Faheem Ashraf got his man. Faheem bowled a good length ball outside off, Miraz looked to go over the on side but managed to mistime the shot. The ball ballooned up to mid-on where Abbas Afridi took the catch. Jaker Ali came into bat next but he too fell cheaply to Salman Mirza. Mirza bowled a length delivery at middle and leg stump. Jaker assumed it to be straight and went to nudge it away. The ball hit the front pad and then ricocheted to hit his off-stump. Bangladesh were 4 down in the 5th over.
Mahedi Hasan came into bat next and was cleaned up straightaway as Salman had two wickets in the over. Salman Mirza went fuller at the middle and off-stump, Mahedi looked to drive it straight but the ball nipped back in a bit. The ball went through the gap between bat and pad and disturbed the stumps as Bangladesh had now lost half their side for 25. Shamim Hossain came into bat to join Naim in the middle. At the end of the powerplay, Bangladesh were tottering at 29/5 in 6 overs.
Captain Salman Ali Agha came into bowl after powerplay and was hit for a boundary by Shamim Hossain. But the Pakistan captain took his revenge the very next ball. Quicker delivery on a good length at middle stump, Shamim went for a cut but managed to get a thick inside edge. The ball hits the base of the leg stump and the zing bail got dislodged. Bangladesh were falling down like nine pins as Hossain fell for 5 off 5 balls. Mohammad Saifuddin came to the crease next.
Ahmed Daniyal joined the party as he dismissed Mohammad Naim for 10 off 17 balls. Length ball at the off-stump. Naim went for a huge heave over midwicket but got a top edge as he is hurried by the pace. The ball swirled up in the air towards mid-off where Agha Salman called for it and took the catch. Nasum Ahmed came into bat next and got off the mark with a boundary. Saifuddin hit a boundary to break the shackles as the duo of Saifuddin and Nasum managed to take Bangladesh to the halfway stage of the chase. At Drinks after 10 overs, Bangladesh were tottering at 56/7 with all to do in the back 10 overs with the tail batting out there.
Saim Ayub came to bowl and bowled a tight over. Hussain Talat came into the attack and gave 4 leg byes away to Nasum Ahmed. But Talat had his man in the end as he got rid of Nasum for 9 off 13 balls with a boundary to his name. Talat bowled a back of a length delivery just outside off-stump, Nasum went for the pull shot but mistimed it up in the air. The long-on fielder Ahmed Daniyal settled underneath it and took the catch. Bangladesh were 8 down with Taskin Ahmed coming to bat next.
Mirza gifted a boundary away as Saifuddin was trying to give some respectability to the total. Taskin also joined in the fun by hitting a boundary off Talat who overstepped as well and conceded a free hit although no damage was done on it. Mohammad Nawaz took the ball and he got the wicket of Taskin Ahmed for 7 off 6 balls with a boundary to his name. Flighted delivery full outside off, Taskin slog swept it away and managed to get the top edge flying towards backward square leg. Talat from short fine leg ran to his right and put in the dive to take the catch. Bangladesh were now 9 down.
Shoriful Islam was the last man out there for Bangladesh as they were 81/9 after 15 overs. Saifuddin decided to have more fun out there as he hit Hussain Talat for two consecutive sixes to start the 16th over. He got off strike and Talat bowled a no ball to which a free hit came and Shoriful used the long handle to hit it for a maximum as the 100 came up for Bangladesh in 15.4 overs. But the fun did not last too long as Mohammad Nawaz picked up the final wicket of the innings. Shoriful Islam was the man dismissed for 7 off 6 balls with a maximum to his name.
Nawaz tossed it full outside off-stump, Shoriful bent his back knee and smashed it flat down the ground. Abbas Afridi in the deep ran across to his right and puts a full length dive to take a good catch as Bangladesh were skittled out for 104 in 16.4 overs. Saifuddin remained unbeaten on 35 off 34 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name. 12 extras were given by Pakistan.
Salman Mirza was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan with figures of 3/20 in 4 overs. He was ably supported by other bowlers. Faheem Ashraf bowled 2 good overs and finished with 2/13 in 2 overs. Mohammad Nawaz also chipped in with 2/4 in 1.4 overs. Ahmed Daniyal bowled a miserly spell of 1/16 in 3 overs. Captain Agha Salman chipped in with 1/12 in 2 overs. Hussain Talat sent in 3 overs for 32 runs and got a wicket although he was expensive.
Saim Ayub bowled an over for 2 runs. So, Pakistan with the consolation win. Sahibzada Farhan for his brilliant knock was awarded the Player of the Match while Jaker Ali was awarded the Player of the Series.
What Lies Ahead
The Bangladesh vs Pakistan series is over as the three-match series ends in favour of Bangladesh winning it 2-1 despite the 3rd game won by Pakistan. Pakistan will next go to West Indies to play 3 ODIS and 3 T20Is starting on August 1 IST. The T20Is start first and then the ODIs. As for Bangladesh, they have a short break now before their next series as their series against India in August has been postponed to 2026 September.
So, all eyes will be on how Pakistan recover from this T20I defeat against West Indies who themselves are struggling against Australia in the T20I series. So, a lot to look forward to as the action continues fast and furious in the world of international cricket.
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