The green shirts began Super 4 round of Asia Cup with emphatic victory against Bangladesh at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
While chasing a target of 194, Pakistan achieved victory with 10 overs to spare, securing their first win of the Super 4 stage.
The match saw a brisk half-century from Mohammad Rizwan, who sealed the victory with a boundary. Despite losing early wickets, Pakistan’s middle order easily led the green shirts to the victory.
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan brought himself on to try and turn the tide for his team but could only manage to concede a single off his six balls.
In the end, it took just three balls of Shakib’s sixth over for Pakistan to score the remaining six runs, winning by seven wickets with 10.3 overs remaining.
In Pakistan’s innings, they faced a disciplined bowling attack from Bangladesh in the early overs. Pakistan’s opening pair cautiously navigated through the powerplay, reaching 37 runs for the loss of one wicket. Imam-ul-Haq, with a well-played half-century, and Babar Azam anchored the innings, taking the score to 74 for the loss of one wicket by the 15th over. The partnership between the two batsmen provided stability.
As the innings progressed, Pakistan continued to accumulate runs steadily. Imam-ul-Haq’s aggressive batting helped Pakistan reach 114 for the loss of two wickets by the 25th over. In the final stages, Pakistan accelerated their run rate, eventually chasing down the target of 194 with seven wickets in hand and 10.3 overs to spare, thanks to Mohammad Rizwan’s quick half-century.
In contrast, Bangladesh’s innings faced early challenges as Pakistan’s formidable pace attack had them reeling at 49 for the loss of four wickets within the first 10 overs. However, experienced batsmen Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan staged a crucial recovery, forming a 100-run partnership. Their resilience steadied Bangladesh’s innings, taking them to 150 for the loss of five wickets by the 30th over.
After Shakib’s dismissal for a solid 53, Bangladesh struggled to cope with Pakistan’s pace attack. The next five batsmen could only contribute 36 runs to the total as they were bundled out for 193 runs. The relentless pace duo of Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah proved too challenging for the lower order, ultimately leading to Bangladesh’s downfall.
Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat against Pakistan in the first Super 4 match of the Asia Cup at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore
