RESULT
8th Match (N), Mirpur, March 02, 2016, Men's T20 Asia Cup
(19.1/20 ov, T:130) 131/5

Bangladesh won by 5 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
48 (48)
soumya-sarkar
New
BAN
Full commentary

That brings us to end of what has been a pulsating game. Time to rest my fingers. Got a little too tight at the end to give us hopes of a last ball thriller, only for Bangladesh to seal it with five balls to spare. Join us on Thursday for India's final group engagement against UAE. Dhoni's hinted at a few changes. Until then, it's goodbye from all of us here at the commentary desk. Cheers!

Mortaza: It's a big won for us, this was like a semi-final. Told the boys to just grab it, because we knew there would be plenty of such matches in the future. There was a bit of pressure in the middle, but we coped well. Final will be another pressure game, the trick is to just back each other. It's a pleasure for us to play at home, thanks to the crowd for coming out in supporting us. Hopefully they'll continue to do that.

Soumya Sarkar is the Man of the Match for his solid 48.

Afridi: I want to congratulate India and Bangladesh for qualifying for the final. We made too many mistakes. It wasn't a good total, but the bowlers did superbly. We have to do something very special (at the World T20) because ours is a tough group. We've given youngsters plenty of opportunities, what else can you do? Sri Lanka is an important game, a win there will be good for our morale.

Tariq: "I think selectors need to answer few questions. They can't get away with this selection. Doesn't happen anywhere in the world."

Dr. Lobzang: "So Bangladesh not only won this match, but also eliminated two Asian giants out of the Asia cup."

Pakistan have lost seven out of their last 10 T20Is. The wins have come against Zimbabwe and UAE. Can't help but wonder if that merits a few changes for Pakistan ahead of the World T20. There's still time till March 8.

Mahmudullah: The final of the Asia Cup in 2012 was on my mind, this win will help us forget that. Sarkar played a superb knock at the top. The pressure was always there, you need to know when to calm down and when to play the big shot. I wanted to give myself a chance to take it till the end, since I knew Amir and Sami were bowling the 18th and 19th over.

So it's an India v Bangladesh in the final on March 6. The stadium roars to life! The Bangladesh players hare towards the middle to congratulate Mashrafe and Mahmudullah. The match was on an even keel when Shakib was out to a poor stroke, but a combination of poor bowling and those no-balls from Sami turned the game on it's head. Three off the final over was never going to be enough.

What tension, what energy. This has been a pulsating clash. The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is all smiles as she waves to the crowd from the VIP enclosure. The moment Mahmudullah hit that, he knew it was all over. Slides across as if he was having fun in the swimming pool. What a moment this, they're out taking selfies and waving the flag. No one's moved. Spare a thought for Mohammad Amir. Brought the game back to life at a time when it was slipping away, but surely he couldn't do it all alone

Arshad: "As a Pakistani fan, I have one question to ask right now: Is it possible to change the teams for T20 World Cup? " There's time till March 8

19.1
4
Anwar Ali to Mahmudullah, FOUR runs

full toss on middle, helped over deep midwicket in style. What power he generates off the bottom hand! Poor ball, and he duly put that away. What pressure? He did that so easily

Anwar Ali to bowl the final over. Mahrafe has a word with Mahmudullah

end of over 1915 runs
BAN: 127/5CRR: 6.68 RRR: 3.00
Mahmudullah18 (14b 1x4 1x6)
Mashrafe Mortaza12 (7b 2x4)
Mohammad Sami 4-0-30-0
Mohammad Amir 4-0-26-2
18.6
1
Sami to Mahmudullah, 1 run

hit towards deep midwicket, 15 off that over, the mood has changed, and how at the Sher-e-Bangla

18.6
5nb
Sami to Mahmudullah, (no ball) FOUR runs

splits the gap between point and short third man. What's worse is it's another no-ball. But take nothing away from Mahmudullah's presence of mind. It was full, he held his shape and then angled his bat nicely to pick the gap. Big no-ball

18.5
2
Sami to Mahmudullah, 2 runs

hit over the bowler's head, didn't get enough power behind the stroke, long-off gets around quickly to hurl the throw at the non-striker's end

18.4
1
Sami to Mortaza, 1 run

yorker outside off, squeezed to the diving point fielder, excellent stop, Mashrafe is angry that he missed a boundary there

18.4
3nb
Sami to Mortaza, (no ball) 2 runs

oh, dear! He's overstepped, and Mashrafe holes out to long-off. What drama! Surely he didn't hear the call, but they scoot back for the second. What's worse is it's a free-hit . Once the catch was taken, the fielder threw the ball in the air in delight, and they stole another

Mahmudul Islam: "Even as a Bangladeshi I would not tolerate such behaviour. Shakib should be warned against his premature rage after he gets out in such fashion. If continues he must be penalised heavily"

18.3
1
Sami to Mahmudullah, 1 run

excellent yorker, full and dead straight on middle, squeezed wide of cover

18.2
1
Sami to Mortaza, 1 run

wild swing, looking to go on side, gets some bat on it, rolls to long-off

18.1
1
Sami to Mahmudullah, 1 run

into the blockhole, squeezed to long-on

Afridi and Sami are having a long chat. Third man inside the ring, long-off and long-on out

end of over 188 runs • 1 wicket
BAN: 112/5CRR: 6.22 RRR: 9.00
Mashrafe Mortaza8 (4b 2x4)
Mahmudullah9 (9b 1x6)
Mohammad Amir 4-0-26-2
Mohammad Irfan 4-0-23-1
17.6
Amir to Mortaza, no run

this one's full and tails away from outside off to beat Mashrafe's wild swing, top over

17.5
Amir to Mortaza, no run

floats it full and wide outside off, Mash looks to back away and carve it over point, missed it, just inside the wide line

17.4
4
Amir to Mortaza, FOUR runs

rip roaring bouncer on the body as Mashrafe looked to back away, the ball lobs off his gloves as he tries to take evasive action, the pace is enough for the ball to deflect off the glove and fly into the fine leg boundary. The roar is back

17.3
4
Amir to Mortaza, FOUR runs

drilled down the ground past the diving mid-off fielder, poor effort. He slid across the turf and let the ball through. Mohammad Sami the culprit

17.2
W
Amir to Shakib, OUT

another poor stroke, and Amir's unstoppable! This one was a length ball slanting in, Shakib gets across and looks to scoop it fine, but is clearly beaten for pace as the ball smashes into the middle and leg stump. Shakib smashes the stumps with his bat in disgust, disappointment or whatever you may call it, but quickly puts his hand up to apologise to the umpire, as if to suggest it was all too momentary. The crowd is stunned into silence. Amir's transformed a cruise into a road block here. Game on!

Shakib Al Hasan b Mohammad Amir 8 (13b 0x4 0x6 23m) SR: 61.53
17.1
Amir to Shakib, no run

what a yorker that! Angles it into leg from wide of the crease, Shakib somehow manages to get his bat down in time to keep that away

Amir's final over

end of over 179 runs
BAN: 104/4CRR: 6.11 RRR: 8.66
Mahmudullah9 (9b 1x6)
Shakib Al Hasan8 (11b)
Mohammad Irfan 4-0-23-1
Mohammad Sami 3-0-15-0
16.6
Irfan to Mahmudullah, no run

excellent delivery, floats it just a touch ahead of good length outside off, nips away late, he pokes at that one and misses

16.5
1lb
Irfan to Shakib, 1 leg bye

tried to scoop that over short fine, didn't get bat anywhere near the ball, but they scamper through for a single, Irfan ran across the turf to flick an underarm throw, but missed. Cry of anguish from Shakib, slaps the bat with his hand in disappointment

16.4
1
Irfan to Mahmudullah, 1 run

slapped to deep point, a couple of metres on either side and it would have been four

long-off back, fine leg in

16.3
Irfan to Mahmudullah, no run

dabs it with soft hands to the off side

16.2
6
Irfan to Mahmudullah, SIX runs

top shot! Back of length delivery angling away, he makes a bit of room and hits it through the line, gets a punch on that stroke as it sails over the ropes. Backfoot off drive over mid-off, delightful

16.1
1
Irfan to Shakib, 1 run

gets a bit of lift off the deck, angled awkwardly down to third man

Irfan's back

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Men's T20 Asia Cup

Qualifying Group
TEAMMWLPTNRR
UAE33061.678
AFG32140.954
OMA3122-1.222
HKG3030-1.416