At the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday, October 23, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets thanks to an impressive all-around performance.
Pakistan’s pace trio, which combined for eight wickets to bowl Bangladesh out for 204, set up the match. Then, comeback player Fakhar Zaman blasted his way to 81 off 74 balls, and his quick century partnership with Abdullah Shafique (68 off 69 balls) gave Pakistan a significant lift in their net run rate. Bangladesh has now been officially eliminated from the competition as a result of the loss.
The pitch had eased out under the lights and, with a non-threatening target to chase, it was Pakistan’s to lose. With Eden’s speedy outfield and the ball coming onto the bat wonderfully, Zaman’s return conditions couldn’t have wished for better. His intentions were made clear by two imposing cross-batted sixes against Taskin Ahmed, and even after the first Powerplay ended, he continued to hit sixes. The opening partnership quickly dismantled Bangladesh’s bowling unit because of the superb strokes of Shafique, who was comparatively quiet.
Particularly after the first 10 overs, the runs began to come at a rapid pace, making it clear that Pakistan would want to complete the game as soon as possible. Zaman and Shafique executed the strategy flawlessly, laying the groundwork for a furious conclusion. In an attempt to speed up the conclusion, both of them and captain Babar Azam lost their lives, giving Mehidy Hasan three wickets, but the outcome was always certain. Pakistan won the match with 105 balls remaining because of the finishing touches provided by Iftikhar Ahmed and Muhammad Rizwan. Babar’s men pursued the run with ruthlessness, even though their bowlers had already finished the job before the midway point.
Bangladesh chose to bat and once again gave a lackluster showing. Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto’s two hits hurt them early, setting the tone for Pakistan under Shaheen Afridi. After that, Haris Rauf contributed to Mushfiqur Rahim’s major breakthrough, which left Bangladesh reeling at 23/3. Litton Das and Mahmudullah’s sharp 79-run partnership looked to be setting Bangladesh up for a big total, but once it was broken, the innings collapsed. Both Litton and Mahmudullah appeared to be in terrific form, but Bangladesh needed one of them to bat far into the innings.
The innings stalled after their dismissals, and although Shakib Al Hasan did make a start, his time at the crease was quite erratic. Pakistan’s bowlers were unrelenting, hitting the appropriate distances to cause problems for Bangladesh’s hitters. In addition to Afridi and Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr. also had a scorching performance, with his final set featuring a reverse swing that was particularly impressive. Bangladesh, who barely made it past 200 points only because of Mehidy’s late cameo, had no reprieve. Pakistan easily finished off the chase, not even troubled by the score.