Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 11 runs to reach Asia Cup final

India have already reached the final. Today will decide who joins them on Sunday—Bangladesh or Pakistan. The fifth match of the Super Four has effectively become a semifinal. The winners will go through to the final, while the losers will be eliminated.

Welcome to live coverage of the high voltage match.

Bangladesh will once again be without captain Litton Das in today’s crucial match against Pakistan. Jaker Ali will lead the team again. However, Nurul Hasan may take the gloves behind the stumps today.

Jaker Ali won the toss and elected to field.

 Mahedi, Taskin and Nurul replace Saifuddin, Nasum and Tanzid.

Pakistan will play with an unchanged XI.

Bangladesh XI: Saif Hassan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali (capt & wk), Nurul Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, and Mustafizur Rahman.

Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (capt), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Abrar Ahmed.

Taskin gets the wicket of Sahibzada Farhan in the very first over. Sahibzada Farhan gets off the mark by hitting Taskin Ahmed a boundary in the third ball of the first over, and gets caught by Risahd in the next ball. Pakistan 4/1. Saim Aub joins Fakhar Jaman.

Mahedi Hasan removes the second Pakistani batter! Saim is caught in mid on by Rishad. Pakistan 5/2 after 2 overs.

Taskin gets his 100th T20I wicket in 82nd match by removing Sahibzada Farhan. He is only the third Bangaldeshi bowler after Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman to achieve this feat.

A spirited bowling show by Bangladeshi bowlers allows Pakistan to score only 27 runs in powerplay in expense of two wickets.

Pakistan 27/2 (6 overs)

Fakhar Zaman 12*

Salman Agha 11*

Rishad strikes! Fakhar Zaman holed out to long off. His plight ends as Pakistan lost its third wicket at 29.

Fakhar Zaman c Tanzim Hasan Sakib b Rishad Hossain 13 (21b 2x4 0x6) SR: 61.9

Rishad strikes again! Pakistan in deep trouble losing fourth wicket for 33. Saif lunges forward to take a very sharp catch to get rid of Talat.

Hussain Talat c Saif Hassan b Rishad Hossain 3 (7b 0x4 0x6) SR: 42.85

Pakistan scores 47, losing 4 wickets, in 10 overs. Salman is batting at 19, and Haris at 8.

Paksitan 51 for 5 after 11 overs.

Mustafizur gets rid of Pakistan captain Salman. Jaker Ali takes a good review, and half of the Pakistan batting is skittled. Shaheed joins Haris.

Salman Agha c †Jaker Ali b Mustafizur Rahman 19 (23b 2x4 0x6) SR: 82.6 

Taskin removes Shaheen. Pakistan lost sixth wicket for 71 in 13.3 overs. Nawaz joins Haris.

Shaheen Shah Afridi c †Jaker Ali b Taskin Ahmed 19 (13b 0x4 2x6) SR: 146.15

At last, Bangladesh managed to dismiss Shaheen Afridi. Skipper Jaker Ali took the catch with gloves on, not barehanded. Coming forward quite a distance, he pouched the catch off Taskin’s delivery. Afridi returned as the sixth batter to fall, scoring 19 runs off 13 balls.

Bangladesh, who had reduced Pakistan to 71 for 6, missed another chance in that over. On the last ball, Parvez Hossain not only dropped a simple catch offered by Mohammad Nawaz but also conceded a boundary.

Taskin’s 14th over went for 10 runs, while Rishad’s 15th over yielded 8.

Pakistan 94/6 (16 overs)

Haris 28*

Nawaz 7*

Pakistan 114 for 7 after 18 overs.

Mahedi strikes and break a 38-run partnership between Haris and Nawaz. Pakistan 109 for 7. Faheem joins Nawaz.

Mohammad Haris c & b Mahedi Hasan 31 (23b 2x4 1x6) SR: 134.78

Nawaz hit Taskin a six in the first ball of the 19th over and Taskin retaliates in the next. Parvez Hossain Emon takes a well-judged catch.

Pakistan 120/8 (18.2 overs)

Mohammad Nawaz c Parvez Hossain Emon b Taskin Ahmed 25 (15b 1x4 2x6) SR: 166.66

Bangladesh restrict Pakistan to 135 for 8 in a spirited bowling show. Taskin took 3 for 28, Rishad and Mahedi took two wickets apiece, and Mustafizur got a wicket. Missed catches help Pakistan post a fighting total despite losing six wickets for 71.

Afridi strikes in the very first over as Emon scuffs a shortish bowl just outside off towards deep backward square leg. Nawaz takes an easy catch. Bangladesh 1/1 after first over.

Saif Hassan hit a six and four, and survives a review in the fourth over.

Bangladesh 23/1 (4 overs)

Saif 18*

Towhid 5*

Afridi strikes again. Towhid Hridoy gone after surviving a run out in previous delivary. Mahedi joins Saif.

Towhid Hridoy c Saim Ayub b Shaheen Shah Afridi 5 (10b 0x4 0x6) SR: 50

Rouf gets rid of in-form Saif Hassan! Bangladesh in deep trouble, losing 3 wickets for 29. Sohan joins Mahedi.

Bangladesh score 36 for 3 in powerplay. Sohan and Mahedi in crease after Pakistan pacers rocked Bangladesh top oders.

Mahedi got out in eighth over, exacerbating Bangladesh’s batting woes. Shamim joins Sohan. Bangladesh reach 58 for 4 in 10 overs, need 78 runs from 60 balls.

Sohan 14*

Shamim 10*

Nurul Hasan Sohan's struggle with bat comes to an end. Bangladesh lost their 5th wicket at 63.

Nurul Hasan c Mohammad Nawaz b Saim Ayub 16 (21b 0x4 1x6) SR: 76.19

Jaker Ali throws his wicket, Bangladesh lost sixth wicket for 73. Tanzim comes to bat.

Jaker Ali c Mohammad Nawaz b Saim Ayub 5 (9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 55.55

Bangladesh need 46 from last four overs. Shamim Hossain and Tanzim in crease.

Shaheen Afridi removes Shamim. Bangladesh lost their seventh wicket for 97. Rishad comes to bat, Bangladesh need 39 from last three overs.

Shamim Hossain c Hussain Talat b Shaheen Shah Afridi 30 (25b 0x4 2x6) SR: 120

Rouf strikes twice, removes Tanzim and Taskin in the 18th over. Pakistan one wicket away from Asia Cup final

Bangladesh need 23 runs in last over, Pakistan one need one wicket to reach Asia Cup final.

Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 11 runs to reach Asia Cup final.