Pakistan’s Haris Rauf who took 4 for 19, celebrates a wicket.
Opener Imam-ul- Haq (78 off 84 balls with 5 fours and 4 fours) and Mohammed Rizwan (63 not out in 79 balls in 7 fours and a six) while paceman Haris Rauf took 4 for 19 as Pakistan recorded a 7-wicket win over Bangladesh in their Super Four match of the ongoing Asia Cup played at Lahore, Pakistan yesterday.
Pakistan chased down 194 in 39.3 overs, thanks to a brilliant all-round performance. They sealed the game with 7 wickets in hand and 63 balls to spare.
Pakistan openers Fakhar Zaman (20 in 31 balls) and Imam-ul- Haq made a 35-run stand but Mehidy Hasan Miraz made the first breakthrough as Fakhar Zaman was trapped LBW. Skipper Babar Azam scored 17 in 22 balls before getting bowled by Taskin Ahmed in the 16th over. However, Imam and Rizwan forged a 85-run partnership for the third wicket. Haris Rauf was named the Man of the Match.
Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al-Hasan won the toss and elected to bat first while Pakistan front-line paceman Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah gave a tough challenge from the start and Bangladesh’s top order couldn’t get runs as they expected.
Opener Mehedy Hasan Miraz was out for a first-ball duck by Naseem Shah in the second over of the innings, No. 3 Litton Das (16, 4 fours) was sent back to the pavilion by paceman Shaheen Afridi bowled extra bounce and edged it to wicket keeper Mohammed Rizwan who took a simple catch and Bangladesh were 31 for 2 wickets in 4.5 overs.
Mohammed Naim the co-opener scored 20 in 25 balls before he was clean bowled by Haris Rauf while Tawhid Hridoy scored only 2 runs in 9 balls and Rauf accounted for his second wicket with a good return catch. Skipper Shakib Al-Hasan and wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim the experienced duo repaired the innings adding a superb 100-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Shakib made 53 in 57 balls with 7 fours while Rahim hit 64 in 87 balls with 5 fours.
Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf shared seven wickets between them while Ifthikar Ahamed, Shaheen Afridi and Faheem Ashraf shared one wicket each.
The next Super Four match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium on September 9. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will arrive in Colombo to play the rest of the Asia Cup Super Four matches.
Chief scores
Bangladesh 193 in 38.4 overs (Mohammed Naim 20, Litton Das 16, Shakib Al Hasan 53, Mushfiqur Rahim 64, Shamim Hossain 16, Afif Hossain 12, Shaheen Afridi 1/42, Naseem Shah 3/34, Haris Rauf 4/ 19, Faheem Ashraf 1/24, Ifthikar Ahamed 1/20 vs Pakistan 194 for 3 wickets in 39.3 overs Fakhar Zaman 20, Imam-ul- Haq 78, Babar Azam 17, Mohammed Rizwan 63,*Agha Salman 12*, Taskin Ahmed 1/32, Shoriful Islam 1/24, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 1/51
Dhammika Ratnaweera
