Fifties from Imam Ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan combined with a clinical bowling performance gave Pakistan a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first Super 4 match of Asia Cup 2023.
Haris Rauf sailed a couple of hostile spells, while Imam- ul- Haq struck a silken 78 as Pakistan secured a comfortable seven- gate palm over Bangladesh in a Super Four clash of the Asia Cup, then on Wednesday.
Rauf (6-0-19-4) proved to be too quick for the Bangladeshi batters, who were also troubled relentlessly by Naseem Shah (5.4-0-34-3) after Shakib- Al- Hasan decided to club.
Bangladesh was ultimately whisked out for a paltry 193 in38.4 overs, despite a 100- run stage and binary half- centuries by Shakib (53 off 57 balls) and former captain Mushfiqur Rahim (64 off 87 balls).
The target was no way going to pose a problem for the hosts, who knocked it off in just39.3 overs.
Indeed though Fakhar Zaman’s spare patch continued and Babar Azam played on a delivery from Taskin Ahmed that kept low, southpaw Imam was graceful during his 84- ball knock.
In all, he hit five fours and four sixes while anchoring the innings in the company of Mohammad Rizwan (63 not out off 79 balls). The brace added 85 runs for the third gate and assured that there were no interruptions in the chase.
Two of his sixes– a pull- shot over mid-wicket off Mehidy Hasan Miraj and an inside-out garret over long- out against Shakib bore evidence to Imam’s gift.
Pakistan will now head to Colombo formerly again to face arch-rivals India in its alternate Super Four game on Sunday.
Before, Bangladesh suffered two fur defeats– first the the top- order was blown down in the Power Play and the lower middle- order fell like a pack of cards towards the end of the innings. They were reduced to 47 for 4 during the first Powerplay and again lost six lattices for 47 runs between overs 30 to 39.
Rauf terrorised the batters with sheer pace while Naseem (3/34 in5.4 overs) also added confluence and swing with it.
The trouble started in the alternate over as last match’s centurion Mehidy Hasan Miraj (0) darted the first delivery he faced off Naseem into the hands of mid-wicket.
Mohammed Naim (20) and Litton Das (16) hit a flurry of boundaries between them, taking the score to 31 before Shaheen Shah Afridi(1/42 in 7 overs) got one to climb on the ultimate, who could only forfend it awkwardly allowing Mohammed Rizwan to complete the formality.
After the original spell of the opening bowlers, Rauf started hitting the hard lengths. He’d nature Naim cramped for room while trying a pull- shot but all he could do was offer a simple return catch.
Towhid Hridoy (2) didn’t measure up as Rauf went slightly wider off the crinkle and angled one it at 140 kmph plus speed. Hridoy couldn’t get his club down in time and was castled.
Shakib and Mushfiqur, the seasoned contenders of numerous-a-battle for Bangladesh over the last decade- and- half, also sustained the boat but the top- order failure left them with too important to do.
With no Mohammed Nawaz in the line- up, Pakistan had four bellwethers operating and the brace had to carry out the deliverance act.
Once Shakib drilled out to the deep off Faheem Ashraf (1/27 in 7 overs), Bangladesh’s innings derailed and it ended up with a below- par score. Know More Latest Asia Cricket News…
