Bangladesh created history at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur Dhaka as they held their nerves by defending a small score and winning by 8 runs against Pakistan. Thereby, Bangladesh completed a historic maiden T20I series win over Pakistan. Put into bat first, Bangladesh lost their top order cheaply before Jaker Ali’s 55 off 48 balls took the Tigers to 133 in 20 overs.
‘In reply, they blew Pakistan top order away reducing them to 15/5 inside the powerplay at one stage. Later, they staved off Faheem Ashraf’s half-century and fight from Abbas Afridi and Ahmed Daniyal to eke out a nervy 8-run win after bowling the visitors out for 125 in the final over. Shoriful Islam shone with the ball with 3/17 in 4 overs while Mahedi Hasan and Tanzim Hasan Sakib picked up a couple of wickets apiece.
Jaker Ali’s half-century lifts Bangladesh to 133.Â
Mohammad Naim and Parvez Hossain Emon walked out to bat for Bangladesh. It took just 9 balls for the first wicket to fall as Faheem Ashraf got rid of Naim for 3. The length ball around off-stump, Naim shuffled across and looked to ramp it to fine leg. The ball hit the inside half of the blade and lands straight to Mohammad Haris behind the stumps as the Tigers were off to a shaky start. Captain Litton Das came out to bat next.
Litton got a boundary away off Salman Mirza which was the first boundary of the match. Emon decided to switch gears a bit as he hit Faheem for a maximum and a boundary to give some energy to the innings. But Mirza struck back getting rid of Litton Das. The back of the length around off angling across. Litton decided to take it on and went for the pull shot. He mistimed it and the ball went to the left of deep square leg. Hasan Nawaz took a good catch near the ropes. Towhid Hridoy came in next and did not last long either.
Hridoy was run out for a bronze duck trying to steal a single at mid-off. Salman Ali Agha hit the stumps and found him short of his crease. Jaker Ali came out to bat next at 5. Ahmed Daniyal on debut came into the attack and got rid of Parvez Hossain Emon. Daniyal bowled a fuller length around off, Emon looked to drive over mid-off and did not get the timing right nor the elevation. The ball went straight into the hands of Faheem Ashraf who completed a simple catch at the edge of the circle. Mahedi Hasan came out to bat next and at the end of the powerplay, Bangladesh were struggling at 29/4.
Jaker Ali managed to get a boundary away off Mohammad Nawaz. Some tight overs followed in the middle overs before Mahedi Hasan broke the shackles by hitting a boundary off Khushdil Shah. Mahedi also hit a maximum off that over as Bangladesh at the halfway stage were 53/4 in 10 overs when Drinks Break was observed by the players.
Mahedi was playing well and got a boundary away off Abbas Afridi. Jaker Ali was also in rebuilding mode as he also broke his shackles by hitting a maximum off Afridi once again. Mahedi hit a huge six off Mohammad Nawaz before the bowler had the last laugh. Nawaz bowled a fuller length tossed up on middle and leg stump, Mahedi looked to come down the ground tried to loft it over mid-off but ended up miscuing the ball straight down the throat of long-off fielder. The ball hit the outside half of the bat as Hasan Nawaz took that catch. Mahedi departed for 33 off 25 balls laced with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Shamim Hossain was the next batter to the crease.
At the end of 15 overs, Bangladesh were 86/5 hoping for a big finish in the last 5 overs. Jaker muscled Daniyal for a maximum to start the 16th over but Daniyal hit back by getting rid of Shamim Hossain as the batter chopped it back onto the stumps. The length delivery outside off, Shamim tried to cut it away and played the wrong line as it was slight wobble seam from the bowler. The ball nipped back in to get the inside edge and back onto the stumps. Daniyal got his second wicket. Tanzim Hasan Sakib came out to bat next.
Sakib hit Mirza for a boundary to bring up the 100 for Bangladesh. But he got out the following ball. Mirza hit the deck hard outside off-stump on a good length. Sakib tried to clobber at it and got the outside half on the slash. The ball flew high and the fielder Fakhar Zaman ran from extra cover behind and gobbled the ball with a good chase and firm hands. Rishad Hossain came to the crease. Jaker Ali was dropped at short fine leg by Khushdil Shah off Salman Mirza and that turned out to be an important moment in the game.
Rishad Hossain struck a maximum off Abbas Afridi before Afridi hit back by knocking Rishad over. Fuller length delivery at the off-stump, the batter misses as he looked to go across the line for the hoick and the ball passed the inside edge and back onto the stumps. Rishad departed for 8 off 4 balls. Jaker Ali continued the fight as he hit Ahmed Daniyal for the maximum. At the end of 19 overs, Bangladesh were 120/8 in 19 overs.
Jaker Ali hit Abbas Afridi for a maximum to inch closer to his half-century. Then in the third ball of the over, Shoriful Islam was run out going back for the second run for 1 as the 9th wicket fell. Jaker hit a maximum off the fourth ball to complete a gritty half-century off 46 balls. He was the last man to be dismissed off the final ball of the innings. Length delivery from Abbas with pace off the ball, Jaker looked to go hard and big but failed to get the elevation of the ball. Mohammad Nawaz took the catch at long-on as Jaker departed for 55 off 48 balls with 1 four and 5 sixes to his name. Bangladesh finished with 133 all out in 20 overs. 4 extras given by Pakistan.
Salman Mirza was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan with 2/17 in 4 overs. He was ably supported by Ahmed Daniyal the debutant who finished with 2/23 in 4 overs. Abbas Afridi chipped in with 2/37 in 4 overs. Mohammed Nawaz chipped in with 1/19 in 3 overs. Faheem Ashraf bowled well for his 1/20 in 3 overs. All in all, a good bowling performance by Pakistan and now they needed 134 to level the series at 1-1.
Shoriful Islam’s 3-wicket haul helps Bangladesh hold Pakistan & create history
Chasing 134 for the win, Pakistan openers Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman came out to bat. The Men in Green were off to a shaky start. Saim Ayub was the first to be dismissed via a run out as the miscommunication led to his dismissal as he fell for 1. Mohammad Haris came out to bat next and fell in the next over to Shoriful Islam. Islam bowled a length ball on middle stump nipping back a bit, Haris looked to drive in front of his pads and gets beaten on the inside edge as the ball strikes his front pad. The appeal is given OUT. The batter reviews in hope and sees Umpire’s call on hitting the stumps. Review retained but Pakistan lose their second wicket.
Captain Salman Ali Agha came out to bat next. Zaman was trying to hang in there alongside Salman. But Shoriful had his man as he got rid of the big fish Fakhar Zaman with the batter opting to walk. Back of a length delivery down the leg side, Zaman stepped down and went for the pull shot and got a glove to it. Litton moved to his right and took the catch. Umpire initially didn’t give it out, but Fakhar walked and the umpire seeing that raised his finger. Hasan Nawaz was the next batter to face the music.
Hasan did not last long either as the extra bounce from Tanzim Hasan Sakib did the trick. Back of a length outside off, Hasan looked to steer it to deep third man with an open bat face. He got the outside edge that is taken easily by Litton Das. Nawaz went for a duck. Mohammad Nawaz went next ball as Shoriful had 2 in 2 balls. Back of a length again with extra bounce off the surface, Nawaz poked at it away from the body and the ball hit the shoulder of the bat to go to Litton Das as the 5th wicket fell for 15 runs. Khushdil Shah came and survived the hat-trick ball and joined Salman in the middle.
At the end of the powerplay, Pakistan were reeling at 17/5 with Salman Agha and Khushdil Shah at the crease with loads of work to do. Khushdil broke the shackles a little bit by hitting Mahedi Hasan for a boundary in the 8th over. Mahedi soon got another wicket as the captain Agha Salman perished for 9 off 23 balls. The length delivery on off and middle stump, the batter stepped down the ground to heave it across the line and failed to get underneath the bounce and miscued it straight down to the fielder at deep midwicket as Towhid Hridoy took the catch. Faheem Ashraf came into bat next and at the halfway stage, Pakistan were 32/6 in 10 overs chasing 134 for the win.
Rishad Hossain came into the attack and thought he had Faheem Ashraf LBW as the finger was raised. But the batter reviewed and the sharp turn saved Faheem. Khushdil Shah was dropped off Rishad Hossain as Emon dropped a sitter at deep cover. Faheem switched gears as he hit Mahedi for a maximum and a boundary with the Fizz misfielding at short third. But Mahedi had his man as Khusdil departed.
Mahedi bowled a length delivery turning into the left-hander the arm ball delivered from wide of the angle sneaked in the gap between the body and the bat to thud at the pad. There was no bat involved and three reds on ball tracking as Shah departed for 13 off 18 balls with a boundary to his name. The review was lost as well by Pakistan. Abbas Afridi joined Faheem Ashraf in the middle with the score 47/7.
The duo started to show some fight out there as the 50 came up in 12.5 overs. Afridi hit a boundary off Sakib who bowled a wayward ball over waist high. Afridi hit another boundary as Pakistan started to get in the big overs. Faheem then took Rishad to the cleaners by hitting him a boundary off the first ball. He also hit a six later in the over and Afridi joined the party by hitting Rishad for another maximum as 20 came off the over. At the end of 15 overs, Pakistan were 82/7 in 15 overs needing 52 needed off 30 balls.
Faheem Ashraf survived a close LBW appeal against Fizz as Umpire’s call saved the batter and the original NOT OUT was upheld. Faheem got a boundary away off the last ball as Pakistan now needed 46 off 24 balls. Shoriful struck back as he cleaned up Abbas Afridi for 19 off 13 balls with 2 fours and a six to his name. Fuller length on the off-stump, Afridi cleared his front leg and looked to heave it across the line. He missed it completely as the ball clattered onto the stumps. Ahmed Daniyal came to the crease next.
Ashraf kept the fight going for Pakistan by hitting Shoriful for a maximum as the equation still gave Pakistan some home. Faheem then hit Tanzim Hasan Sakib for a boundary as the 100 was raised for Pakistan in 17.2 overs. The equation came down to 28 off 12 balls. Ahmed Daniyal decided to join in on the act by hitting 2 boundaries off the first 3 balls off Rishad Hossain. Faheem then completed his most important fifty with the maximum over midwicket as he got there in 31 balls. But Rishad had the last laugh and picked the most important wicket off the match.
Rishad bowled the fuller length quick at the stumps, Faheem went for the wild slog across the line and got beaten on the inside edge. The ball shattered the stumps as Faheem departed for 51 off 32 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes to his name. Pakistan needed 13 off 6 balls with one wicket in hand. Number 11 Salman Mirza strode out to the middle.
Mustafizur was tasked to bowl the final over and the first ball was hit for a boundary by Daniyal as the equation came down to 9 off 5 balls. But the Fizz held its nerve and got the final wicket to finish the game as Daniyal went down fighting. The length delivery outside off as Daniyal tried to heave it away across the line. He miscued the stroke as the ball went into the hands of Shamim Hossain at deep midwicket who made no mistake as Daniyal fell for 17 off 11 balls with 3 fours to his name. Pakistan are bowled out for 125 in 19.2 overs. 7 extras given by the Bangladesh team.
Shoriful Islam was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh with figures of 3/17 in 4 overs. Mahedi Hasan complimented him well with 2/25 in 4 overs. Tanzim Hasan Sakib bowled well for his 2/23 in 4 overs. Mustafizur Rahman finished with 1/15 in 3.2 overs while Rishad Hossain finished with 1/42 in 4 overs including the big wicket of Faheem Ashraf. So, Bangladesh win by 8 runs and Jaker Ali was awarded the Player of the Match award.
What Lies Ahead
Bangladesh has already secured the series with a game to spare leading 2-0. They will look to complete a rare whitewash against Pakistan. Pakistan must be hurting and would like to pull one back before this tour ends. The final match of the series takes place on 24th of July, Thursday at the same venue.
Will Bangladesh complete the whitewash? Or will Pakistan save pride and win the final game of the series and finish with 1-2. Only time will tell as the matches come thick and fast for both teams.
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