Walk in the Pak

KOLKATA, October 31

Former champions Pakistan kept alive their slender chances of making the semifinals of the ODI World Cup with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory against Bangladesh today. Electing to bat, Bangladesh could never really recover from a top-order collapse and posted a modest 204 before being all out in the 46th over at the Eden Gardens.

Pakistan’s three-pronged pace attack impressed with the new ball and were equally effective in the death overs with only Mahmudullah (56) managing a half-century for Bangladesh. Openers Fakhar Zaman (81) and Abdullah Shafique (68) combined in a 128-run stand to set up their victory that came with 17.3 overs to spare in a major net run-rate boost for them.

Babar Azam’s men moved to fifth place in the points table after their third win in seven matches. Head coach Grant Bradburn had rued how lack of swing in India had defanged Pakistan’s pace attack, usually their strong suit, in the tournament.

Bradburn must have been pleased as the pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim and Haris Rauf collectively claimed eight of the 10 Bangladesh wickets in the match. Left-arm quick Afridi (3/23) struck with his fifth delivery, trapping Tanzid Hasan lbw for his 100th ODI wicket. Najmul Hossain Shanto fell in Afridi’s next over and Bangladesh slumped to 23/3 after Rauf (2/36) had Mushfiqur Rahim caught behind in the sixth over.

Litton Das (45) and Mahmudullah arrested the slide but the flourish Bangladesh needed did not materialise.

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan made 43 but Wasim claimed three wickets in his last seven deliveries to hasten Bangladesh’s collapse.

Replacing Imam-ul-Haq at the top of the order, Fakhar found his form as he and Abdullah started dictating terms right from the start.

A ball after Abdullah brought up his fifty with a single off Taskin Ahmed, Fakhar reached his own in a more spectacular manner by hitting the pacer over his head for a six. — Reuters

Scoreboard

Bangladesh

T Hasan lbw b Afridi 0

L Das c Salman b Ahmed 45

N Shanto c Mir b Afridi 4

M Rahim c Rizwan b Rauf 5

Mahmudullah b Afridi 56

S Al Hasan c Salman b Rauf 43

T Hridoy c Ahmed b Mir 7

M Hasan Miraz b Wasim 25

T Ahmed b Wasim 6

M Rahman b Wasim 3

S Islam not out 1

Extras: (lb 4, w 5) 9

Total: (all out, 45.1 overs) 204

FOW: 1-0, 2-6, 3-23, 4-102, 5-130,

6-140, 7-185, 8-200, 9-201, 10-204

Bowling O M R W

Shaheen Shah Afridi 9 1 23 3

Iftikhar Ahmed 10 0 44 1

Haris Rauf 8 0 36 2

Mohammad Wasim 8.1 1 31 3

Usama Mir 10 0 66 1

Pakistan

A Shafique lbw b Miraz 68

F Zaman c Hridoy b Miraz 81

B Azam c Mahmudullah b Miraz 9

M Rizwan not out 26

I Ahmed not out 17

Extras: (lb 2, w 2) 4

Total: (3 wickets, 32.3 overs) 205

FOW: 1-128, 2-160, 3-169

Bowling O M R W

Taskin Ahmed 6 1 36 0

Shoriful Islam 4 1 25 0

Mehidy Hasan Miraz 9 0 60 3

Mustafizur Rahman 7 0 47 0

Shakib Al Hasan 5.3 0 30 0

Najmul Hossain Shanto 1 0 5 0

Player of the Match Fakhar zaman

#Bangladesh #Cricket #Pakistan