Pakistan, recognized for its resilience, scripted a much-needed turnaround by thumping Bangladesh by seven wickets and recorded its third victory to remain in the World Cup semifinal race at the Eden Gardens right here on Tuesday.
Electing to bat on a dry pitch, Bangladesh didn’t final the 50 overs for the fourth time in its final six innings because it stuttered to 204 with Shaheen Afridi capturing three essential wickets. Openers Fakhar Zaman and Shafique Abdullah’s authoritative half-centuries enabled the former champion to simply obtain the modest goal and finish its four-match shedding streak.
The left-right mixture of Zaman and Shafique obtained used to the monitor earlier than toying with the dispirited Bangladesh bowlers to erect a 128-run stand.
In the one-sided sub-continental duel, Zaman (81), who made an emphatic return after over three weeks by clobbering seven spectacular sixes, totally on the onside, and one stunningly over third-man, and Shafique (68), who hammered Mustafizur Rahman for 3 fours in an over, entertained practically 28,000 spectators with some T20 stuff.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz took all three Pakistan wickets however couldn’t stop the inevitable.
Bangladesh’s PowerPlay woes continued because it misplaced three wickets for 23.
Leading Pakistan’s tempo pack, Afridi displayed good management and extracted seam motion to offer early breakthroughs, giving freely too little. He trapped opener Tanzid Hasan lbw in the first over to develop into the quickest Pakistani bowler to log 100 wickets and had Najmul Shanto caught by a diving Usama Mir at brief mid-wicket in the third.
After being hit for 3 fours, Haris Rauf was relieved to have Mushfiqur Rahim caught behind.
A centered Litton (45) and a assured Mahmudullah (56) revived the innings. The duo’s wise shot choice and rotation of strike solid The Tigers’ finest partnership, 79 off 89 deliveries.
Mahmudullah dominated the off-side and pulled Usama for a large six. Litton, who impressed by consecutively driving Rauf on both facet of the stumps to the boundary, executed his cuts and drives nicely.
Iftikhar removed Litton to interrupt the partnership ensuing in Bangladesh’s decelerated run charge.
Afridi returned to bowl a magnificence from spherical the wicket and take away Mahmudullah.
Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan started watchfully earlier than switching gears. A rising supply ended his 76-ball 43 and gave Rauf a second of pleasure. Mohammad Wasim cleaned up the Bangladesh tail.
Bangladesh’s sixth back-to-back defeat let down its emotional followers who needed to endure the ache of their workforce’s formal exit.
Scoreboard
BANGLADESH INNINGS: Tanzid Hasan lbw b Afridi 0 (5b), Litton Das c Salman b Iftikhar 45 (64b, 6×4), Najmul Hossain Shanto c Usama b Afridi 4 (3b, 1×4), Mushfiqur Rahim c Rizwan b Rauf 5 (8b, 1×4), Mahmudullah b Afridi 56 (70b, 6×4, 1×6), Shakib Al Hasan c Salman b Rauf 43 (64b, 4×4), Towhid Hridoy c Iftikhar b Usama 7 (3b, 1×4), Mehidy Hasan Miraz b Wasim 25 (30b, 1×4, 1×6), Taskin Ahmed b Wasim 6 (13b), Mustafizur Rahman b Wasim 3 (7b), Shoriful Islam (not out) 1 (4b); Extras (lb-4, w-5): 9
Total (in 45.1 overs): 204.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Tanzid, 0.5 overs), 2-6 (Najmul, 2.4), 3-23 (Mushfiqur, 5.6), 4-102 (Litton, 20.5), 5-130 (Mahmudullah, 30.4), 6-140 (Hridoy, 31.3), 7-185 (Shakib, 39.3), 8-200 (Mehidy, 43.1), 9-201 (Taskin, 43.3).
PAKISTAN BOWLING: Afridi 9-1-23-3, Iftikhar 10-0-44-1, Rauf 8-0-36-2, Wasim 8.1-1-31-3, Usama 10-0-66-1.
PAKISTAN INNINGS: Abdullah Shafique lbw b Mehidy 68 (69b, 9×4, 2×6), Fakhar Zaman c Hridoy b Mehidy 81 (74b, 3×4, 7×6), Babar Azam c Mahmudullah b Mehidy 9 (16b, 1×4), Mohammad Rizwan (not out) 26 (21b, 4×4), Iftikhar Ahmed (not out) 17 (15b, 2×4); Extras (lb-2, w-2): 4
Total (for 3 wkts. in 32.3 overs): 205.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-128 (Shafique, 21.1), 2-160 (Babar, 25.4), 3-169 (Fakhar, 27.3).
BANGLADESH BOWLING: Taskin 6-1-36-0, Shoriful 4-1-25-0, Mehidy 9-0-60-3, Mustafizur 7-0-47-0, Shakib 5.3-0-30-0, Najmul 1-0-5-0.
Toss: Bangladesh.
PoM: Fakhar Zaman.
Pakistan gained by seven wickets with 105 deliveries to spare.
