Dubai: Pakistan’s bowling unit came to the party when it mattered the most as they defended a modest 135 with all its might against Bangladesh here on Thursday, winning the Super 4s match by 11 runs to set up a maiden Asia Cup title clash with arch-rivals India.
Taking into account the simmering off-field tension between India and Pakistan, no one would be more happier than the Asian Cricket Council and the tournament’s official broadcasters, who would be laughing their way to the bank after Bangladesh made a hash of their chase.
They came close in the end though, managing 124 for nine in 20 overs.
The target could have been chased with a bit of common sense and some proper cricketing shots, but the Bangladeshi batters found every possible way to get dismissed after Shaheen Shah Afridi (3/17 in 4 overs) bowled a brilliant opening spell, taking two wickets in the powerplay.
Once Haris Rauf (3/23 in 3 overs) got rid of the opposition danger-man Saif Hassan (18), who had warmed up with two sixes, none of the other batters showed the stomach for a fight. Rauf later polished off the tail with couple of express deliveries and kept his cool to bowl the final two deliveries on spot.
The saddest part was that none of the Bangladeshi batters had a clue as to how to play the spin troika of off-break bowler Saim Ayub (2/16 in 4 overs), slow left-arm orthodox Mohammed Nawaz (1/14 in 3 overs) and wrist spinner Abrar Ahmed (0/23 in 3 overs), who put the brakes on them during the middle overs.
Shamim Hossain (30 off 26 balls) played a horrible flat-batted reverse shot off a Afridi back-of-the-hand slower ball in his final over, and Bangladesh had no chance of scoring 39 in three overs.
Earlier, 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 the winner-takes-it-all clash.
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 could make significant contributions.
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)
