Bangladesh need 111 to beat Pakistan in first T20I

Bangladesh bowlers put up a spectacular bowling show to restrict visiting Pakistan to 110 runs in the first of three match Twenty 20 international series.

Skipper Liton Das finally won the toss after losing nine in a row and sent Pakistan to bat first in the tricky wicket of Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Bangladesh could have got the breakthrough in the very first over but Taskin dropped a sitter of experienced Fakhar Zaman in short fine leg.

However, experienced Taskin did his penance the very next over giving Bangladesh early breakthrough in the second over of the innings. Saim Ayub holed out in deep fine leg as Mustafiz took a well-judged low catch.

Mahedi Hasan, after conceding nine runs in the first over, continued and was hit three fours in the third over but got Mohammad Haris in the last ball, giving Pakistan early jolts at 32 for 2 wickets in three overs.

Tanzim Hasan came to attack in the fifth over bowled a flurry of fantastic deliveries. After bowling four consecutive dots, he got Salman Agha out caught behind as Pakistan skipper succumbed to the pressure and opted to play it cheeky shot.

Mustafizur Rahman came in the sixth over and got Hasan Nawaz, conceding only one run, and leaving Pakistan reeling at 41 for 4 inside powerplay.

Tanzim Hasan Sakib kept the pressure on in the seventh over, giving away only one run while Pakistan lost half of its side in the next over.

Mohammad Nawaz wanted sneak out a a quick single, but Fakhar did not budge and sent his partner back. Liton threw the ball at the bowler's end, getting Nawaz despite his desperate dive. Pakistan were in quandary at 46 for 5 in eight overs.

Khushdil Shah joined Fakhar Zaman in the sixth wicket and tried to carve a partnership Pakistan were desperately looking for. Shamim Hossain bowled a tight one in 11th over conceding only two runs and that pressure paid off in the next over as Pakistan’s top scorer Fakhar Zaman was run out after scoring 44 runs off 34 balls hitting six 4s and one over boundary.

Khushdil left Fakhar stranded in the middle of the pitch and the experienced southpaw left the ground fuming. Pakistan lost their sixth at 70.

Khushdil and Abbas Afridi hit two sixes in the fifteenth over from Rishad Hossain. Abbas, who were initially struggling, continued to free his arms in the next over of Tanzim hitting two massive back-to-back sixes. These two overs gave Pakistan hope to post a competitive total.

Just as the partnership started to look threatening, Mustafizur gave the breakthrough getting Khushdil caught in mid off. Khushdil’s innings of 23-ball came to an end.

Taskin got two wickets in the final over to all out Pakistan for 110 runs.

Mustafizur returned a fantastic figure of 6 for 2 in his four overs, bowling 18 dot balls. Taskin got two including two in final over while Tanzim, and Mahedi each got a wicket.

Bangladesh: 1 Parvez Hossain Emon, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Litton Das (capt & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shamim Hossain, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pakistan: 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Mohammad Haris (wk), 4 Hasan Nawaz, 5 Salman Agha (capt), 6 Mohammad Nawaz, 7 Khushdil Shah, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Abbas Afridi, 10 Salman Mirza, 11 Abrar Ahmed