Taskin Ahmed came back into the side with a bang getting early wickets and putting pressure on Pakistan from the start. Taskin Ahmed picked up early wickets and wickets in the death overs as well as his 3-wicket haul restricted Pakistan to 135/8 in 20 overs. Pakistan struggled in their first innings as Mohammad Haris made 31 and Mohammad Nawaz made 25 as the Men in Green crawled their way to 135/8 in 20 overs.
Taskin Ahmed picked up 3/28 in 4 overs. Mahedi Hasan picked up 2 wickets for 28 runs in 4 overs. Rishad Hossain bowled well for his 2/18 in 4 overs while Mustafizur Rahman finished with 1/33 in 4 overs. Tanzim Hasan Sakib finished with 0/28 in 4 overs and it meant that Bangladesh now will need 136 runs to win this contest.
Bangladesh strike early to put pressure on Pakistan in the powerplay
Put into bat first, Sahibzada Farhan came out to bat alongside Fakhar Zaman while the returning Taskin Ahmed had ball in hand for Bangladesh. Farhan made his intentions clear by crunching it into the gap between extra cover and point for a boundary. But Taskin had his revenge next ball as Farhan was dismissed for 4 off 4 balls with a boundary to his name. It was also his 100th T20I wicket.
Taskin bowled it fuller and swinging it away from the right-hander. Farhan threw his hands at it and got it from the outside half of the bat. The ball went aerially towards the right of backward point. Rishad Hossain took the catch at the edge of the circle. Saim Ayub came out to bat next. Mahedi Hasan came onto bowl from the other end. He got rid of Saim Ayub for a duck as he got his 4th duck in this tournament.
Mahedi bowled full and tossed up at the off-stump with a hint of away turn. Ayub stepped down and looked to clear the man at mid-on. He didn’t get the timing right and it went straight into the hands of Rishad Hossain who took yet another catch. Captain Salman Ali Agha came out to bat next. Fakhar managed to get a boundary away via an inside edge past the stumps and away to the deep fine leg fence.
Salman then broke the shackles as he took the aerial route and lofted it over mid-off for a boundary. Tanzim Hasan Sakib came onto the attack next. Fakhar took him on and swung through the line and swiped it past short fine leg for a boundary. Mustafizur Rahman came into the attack next. Salman stepped down the track and lofted it uppishly over extra cover as the ball raced away to the fence. After the end of the powerplay, Pakistan were struggling at 27/2 in 6 overs.
Bangladesh chip away at the wickets to keep Pakistan under pressure at 83/6 in 15 overs
Rishad Hossain came into the attack post the powerplay. He struck straightaway as he got rid of Fakhar Zaman for 13 off 20 balls with 2 fours to his name. Rishad from around the wicket bowled a full and tossed up outside off-stump with a leg break. Fakhar made room on the leg side and looked to go up and over long-off. He didn’t get the timing right and it went to the right of Tanzim Hasan Sakib who settled underneath it and took the catch. Hussain Talat came out to bat next.
Sakib continued and bowled a tight over. Rishad struck again as he got rid of Talat for 3 off 7 balls. Rishad from around the wicket bowled a short of a length delivery outside off-stump. Talat backed away and looked to cut it away but failed to keep it down. It went straight into the hands of Saif Hassan who dived forward and took the sharp catch inches above the ground. Mohammad Haris came to the crease and got off the mark with a couple of runs.
Haris clipped Mahedi away for a boundary to deep fine leg region. The last ball of the 10th over witnessed a short run as Haris made a schoolboy error and so, after 10 overs, Pakistan were struggling at 46/4 as the players took the Drinks Break. Mustafizur Rahman came back after the break and got rid of Salman Ali Agha for 19 off 23 balls with 2 fours to his name thanks to a successful review from Bangladesh.
The Fizz bowled a good length delivery on the off-stump holding its line as Salman played from the crease and looked to play towards mid-off as he tried to use the trademark angle of Mustafizur, but this one held its line to go close to the inside edge and carried safely to the keeper. The appeal was turned down and then the DRS was taken and there was a spike on Ultra Edge and the decision was overturned to OUT. Shaheen Afridi was promoted up the order to bat at 7.
He got off the mark and then was dropped by Nurul Hasan at the cover region as a tough chance went begging. Then there was an appeal for LBW which was turned down. The decision was challenged and it came back as umpire’s call as the review was retained but wicket was not achieved. Another dropped chance happened as Shaheen was put down by Mahedi Hasan off Rishad as the fielder charged in at mid-on as a single was taken. Afridi then launched Sakin for the maximum over deep midwicket.
Taskin returned to bowl and was deposited for the maximum by Afridi over midwicket for the maximum. Taskin came back a couple of balls later and got rid of Afridi for 19 off 13 balls with 2 sixes to his name. It was a low full toss on the stumps, Afridi’s eyes lit up and cleared his front leg for a heave across the line. He closed the bat face a tad early than he would have liked and got a leading edge that went into orbit towards square leg. Jaker Ali with the gloves called for it to sprint towards the square leg umpire and took a fine catch with his gloves.
Mohammad Nawaz came out to bat next. Nawaz was next given a reprieve as Emon made a meal of the catch and dropped it at deep backward point as the ball raced away to the fence. Rishad returned to the attack for his final over as Haris hit him from deep in the crease to deep midwicket fence for a welcome boundary. Rishad kept it tight after that as Pakistan at the end of 15 overs were still in troubled waters at 83/6 in 15 overs.
Late Flourish takes Pakistan to 135/8 in 20 overs.
Mustafizur Rahman returned as Haris deposited him by scooping it over fine leg for the maximum. Sakib came back to bowl his final over as Pakistan brought up their 100 in 16.5 overs. There was a run out chance, but throw at the wrong end helped Pakistan survive a scare. Nawaz then launched Mahedi Hasan for the maximum straight down the ground over long-on. Mahedi hit back getting rid of Haris for 31 off 23 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name.
Mahedi bowled a fuller length at the leg stump following Haris who backed away to make space for himself. He tried to get underneath it and slam it down town. It was too full and too quick to nail the stroke as he hit it flat and straight to the bowler. It was travelling and the catch was taken well by Mahedi Hasan. Faheem Ashraf came out to bat next. Mahedi Hasan finished his spell. Nawaz launched Taskin over deep square leg for the maximum. But Taskin came back to get rid of Mohammad Nawaz for 25 off 15 balls with one four and 2 sixes to his name.
He bowled a fuller length outside off-stump slower delivery. Nawaz backed away and looked to go over cover but failed to pick the change in pace. He ended up slicing it straight up in the air. Emon back tracked from extra cover and took a spectacular catch as he kept his eyes on the ball and took it. 250th wicket in T20s for Taskin Ahmed. Haris Rauf came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace.
Mustafizur came to bowl the final over of the innings. Faheem hit a boundary by throwing his hands at it and getting a boundary to third man region. In the end, Pakistan did well to recover from a precarious position to finish with 135/8 in 20 overs. Faheem was unbeaten on 14 off 9 balls with a maximum to his name. Haris Rauf was unbeaten on 3 off 3 balls. 4 extras given by Bangladesh bowlers.
Bangladesh bowled well today with Taskin Ahmed leading the way with 3/28 in 4 overs. Mahedi Hasan finished with 2/28 in 4 overs. Tanzim Hasan Sakib finished with 0/28 in 4 overs. Mustafizur Rahman finished with 1/33 in 4 overs. Rishad Hossain was brilliant with his 2/18 in 4 overs. Bangladesh now needs 136 to win off 20 overs to book a place in the finals.
What Lies Ahead
So, Pakistan have done well to recover from a precarious position of 55/5 in 12 overs to get to 135/8 in 20 overs. Pakistan have got runs on the board. Bangladesh have performed well with the ball and now need to bat well to win this game. It’s a pressure game and this game can go either way. Let’s see how things pan out. Slight advantage to Bangladesh, but Pakistan not out of it by any means.
A fascinating chase awaits us all in Dubai with the winner facing India in the final on Sunday. The loser goes home.
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