In the first Super Four match of the 2023 Asia Cup held at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, Pakistan triumphed over Bangladesh in a one-sided contest. Bangladesh skipper Shakib-Al-Hasan won the toss and chose to bat first but struggled to put up a competitive total, managing just 193 runs in 38.4 overs. Shakib-Al-Hasan couldn’t make the most of the start.
Pakistan chased down the target comfortably, ending the game at 194-3 in 39.3 overs. With this victory, Pakistan now boasts 13 wins in 14 ODI Asia Cup matches against Bangladesh, a record held by any Asian team against a specific opponent in the Asia Cup. Notably, Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, also surpassed Virat Kohli in a unique record.
Top Performers of the Match
Haris Rauf was the star of the day, taking four crucial wickets in his spell of 6 overs, and conceding just 19 runs. His experience playing for Lahore Qalandars in the PCL paid off as he exploited the Gaddafi Stadium conditions effectively. He was just one wicket away from a fifer, but Naseem Shah claimed two wickets in the last over of the first innings.
Naseem Shah himself bowled brilliantly, finishing with figures of 5.4-0-34-3. With these 4 wickets, Rauf becomes the joint third-fastest bowler to reach 50 ODI wickets for Pakistan in 27 matches. Hasan Ali tops the list with a record of 24 innings, followed by Shaheen Afridi in 25, and Waqar Younis in 27 innings.
Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq played a match-winning innings of 78 runs in 84 balls, including 5 fours and 4 sixes, with a strike rate of 92.86. He secured his 19th half-century, anchoring Pakistan’s chase. Wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan partnered effectively with Imam-ul-Haq, contributing 63 runs in 79 balls, comprising 7 fours and 1 six.
Apart from Mushfiqur Rahim and skipper Shakib-al-Hasan, no Bangladeshi batsman could withstand Pakistan’s fiery pace bowling. Mushfiqur Rahim scored 64 runs in 87 balls, while Shakib-al-Hasan made 53 runs in 57 balls. Their partnership was the only reason Bangladesh reached a total of 193.
Apart from Mushfiqur Rahim and skipper Shakib-al-Hasan, no Bangladeshi batsman could withstand Pakistan’s fiery pace bowling. Mushfiqur Rahim scored 64 runs in 87 balls, while Shakib-al-Hasan made 53 runs in 57 balls. Their partnership was the only reason Bangladesh reached a total of 193. Additionally, they both have been involved in a century stand, making them 3rd on the list of most century stands for the fifth or lower wicket in ODIs, with 5 stands. MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina have 6 century stands, whereas Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh have 5 century stands.
Pakistan’s Bowling Rock Solid Yet Again
Pakistan’s pace battery delivered once more, with Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf making early inroads into the Bangladesh lineup. Naseem Shah dismissed last match centurion Mehidy Hasan Miraz for a duck, while Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed Litton Das’s wicket. Haris Rauf was relentless from the start, picking up two vital wickets in his first two overs.
Babar Surpassed Kohli’s Unique Record
Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, achieved a significant milestone by becoming the fastest captain to reach 2000 ODI runs, accomplishing this feat in just 31 innings, surpassing Virat Kohli’s record of 36 innings. Among others who reached this milestone, South Africa’s AB de Villiers did it in 41 innings, Australia’s Michael Clarke in 47, while both India’s MS Dhoni and England’s Eoin Morgan achieved it in 48 innings.
Very Poor Batting Display on a Surface Like This – Shakib-Al-Hasan
After the loss, Bangladesh Captain Shakib Al Hasan acknowledged Pakistan’s exceptional bowling and expressed disappointment in his team’s batting performance. He emphasized the need for consistency in batting and praised Pakistan’s world-class bowlers. Shakib also mentioned that the pitch conditions played a significant role in the outcome and hoped for better results in the upcoming matches.
“We lost at the start, they bowled really well and we played some ordinary shots. On a wicket like this, we shouldn’t have lost four wickets in 10 overs. We had a very good partnership, we should have got going for 7-8 overs. After I got out, there were no more partnerships. Very poor batting display on a surface like this,” said Shakib-al-Hasan.
We have to take it on our chin and move to the next one as we have another game in a couple of days. They (Pakistan) are the number one team, they’ve got three world-class frontline bowlers. If they can do that, it gets easier for their batsmen,” stated Shakib-al-Hasan.
“We have been doing well in our bowling department. Batting at this moment is little bit hot and cold. We need to be consistent and that’s what we’ll try to do. Our three seamers bowled brilliantly. They have been bowling well for the last couple of years,” added Shakib-al-Hasan.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the wickets. It wasn’t a pitch where you can get wickets unless batsmen make a mistake. When I played the LPL, the pitches were slow. If that happens, it suit us better. Hopefully we do well in Colombo,” he concluded..
With this, all four matches of the Pakistan leg have been completed, with the remaining matches of the Super Four and the Final being played in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The second match of the Super Four is between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on Saturday, 9th of September, followed by the Super Sunday clash between Pakistan and India on the next day.