Dubai: Bangladesh bowlers gave a fine account of themselves in humid conditions for the second day in a row as they restricted a fancied Pakistan batting line-up to 135 for eight in a winner-takes-it-all Super 4s clash of the Asia Cup here Thursday.
The total might not be as bad as it looks due to the nature of the track where stroke making is difficult.
Senior Bangladesh bowlers Mustafizur Rahaman (1/33 in 4 overs), Taskin Ahmed (3/28 in 4 overs) and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain (2/18 in 4 overs) made full use of a tacky turner as none of the top-order Pakistan batters had a clue as to how to construct an innings.
Mohammed Haris (31 off 23 balls), their best batter in the tournament, once again kept them in the fight, with a plucky knock while Shaheen Shah Afridi (19) with a couple of sixes and a lucky Mohammed Nawaz (25 off 15 balls) also did their bit after a total of even 100 looked improbable.
It started with controversial opener Sahibzada Farhan (4) slashing a rising delivery from Taskin Ahmed and Rishad Hossain at backward point snapping it. Sahibzada was Taskin’s 100th wicket in T20 Internationals.
Saim Ayub (0), the over-rated Pakistani youngster, got his fourth duck as he couldn’t clear the mid-on against off-spinner Mahedi Hasan (2/28 in 4 overs)’s bowling.
Fakhar Zaman (13), Hussain Talat (3) and Salman Ali Agha (19) were all gone even before the total reached 50. But Afridi, Haris and Nawaz struck a few sixes, and a few dropped catches, meant that Pakistan crossed the 125-run mark.
PTI
