KOLKATA (Dunya News) – Pakistan on Tuesday thrashed Bangladesh by seven wickets, keeping their hopes for semi-final qualification alive in the ongoing World Cup 2023.
The Team Green achieved the target of 205 runs in 33rd over at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Opening pair Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique built a strong 128-run partnership. However, Shafique was given LBW out on Mehidy Hassan Miraz's delivery in 22nd over.
Babar Azam fell for cheap scores after he shuffled down the pitch and drove, but was caught by Mahmudullah Riyad down the ground. Fakhar Zaman was dismissed for 81. At this point Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed smashed unbeaten 26 and 17, respectively, to seal victory in the crucial match.
Earlier, a disciplined bowling spell helped Pakistan dismiss Bangladesh for 204 runs. An incisive spell from Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Waseem, who achieved three-wicket hauls, bowl the Tigers out in 45.1 overs.
Pakistan were right on the mark from the very start as Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf took wickets of top order in quick sessions.
Afridi removed Tanzid Hasan for duck and Najmul Hossain Shanto for four. At this point, Litton Das tried to pick up the pace for Bangladesh with a flurry of boundaries against Haris Rauf.
However, Haris Rauf got the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim to nick one behind the wicket. Mushfiqur was replaced by the in-form Mahmudullah, who scored 56. He got full spot from Shakib Al Hasan, who played 43 runs knock.
After their dismissal, Mehidy Hassan Miraz tried to maintain the momentum but he could not stand for long and removed for 25. Mohammad Wasim later took quick wickets for Bangladesh’s tail order, restricting them from building a tough total.
Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat against Pakistan.
Pre-match Coverage
Pakistan and Bangladesh have only met in one ODI since the last ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, when Babar Azam’s XI cruised to a seven-wicket win in the Super Four stage of the recent Asia Cup.
The same side also triumphed at the Cricket World Cup in 2019 with a comfortable 94-run victory that snapped a four-match winning streak for Bangladesh in contests between the pair.
That stretch makes up the bulk of Bangladesh’s five wins in 38 ODIs against a Pakistan team that has otherwise dominated the head-to-head encounters in the format.
But Pakistan will be more focused on the present than the past with their Cricket World Cup campaign on the brink of collapsing after four costly losses in a row.
The 1992 champions almost certainly need to win every match from here and hope other results go their way to have any chance of reaching the knockout stages of the tournament.
A fifth consecutive defeat for Pakistan would all but put a stamp on their elimination from the showpiece event in India.
Bangladesh started the Cricket World Cup with an impressive win over Afghanistan but are yet to add another victory as they instead dropped to the lower end of the standings.
With Bangladesh now languishing in ninth-place, Pakistan have much more to play for this time as both teams are running out of opportunities to turn around their campaign.
Mohammad Rizwan has been Pakistan’s most consistent batter through the Cricket World Cup while only failing to make a start in one of six innings so far.
Rizwan started the tournament with a fast fifty against Netherlands and unbeaten century in the clash with Sri Lanka, but has also reached at least 30 on three occasions during Pakistan’s barren run of four losses.
With Babar beginning to make more of an impact as well, the now classic combination with Rizwan needs to fire if Pakistan are to find a way back onto the path toward the knockout stages.
For Bangladesh the left-arm quick Shoriful Islam is one of the rising stars of a Bangladesh outfit needing a boost of youthful exuberance.
The 22-year-old has attacked his maiden Cricket World Cup with plenty of zest while picking up eight scalps in six matches.
But Shoriful has often struggled to contain the best opposition batters while giving up 6.51 runs an over.
Shoriful takes the new ball with fiery pacer Taskin Ahmed but made his mark in the middle stages of Bangladesh’s only victory at the tournament, and will likely need to match that effort for his side to notch a second win in India.
Squads
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.
Bangladesh squad: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Kumer Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Najmul Hossain Shanto (vc), Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib.