Taskin ends Afridi's cameo
Afridi hits another six, this time off Taskin, before miscuing a knee-high full-toss to the keeper for 19 off 13 balls. The onus is now on previous match hero Nawaz and Haris to drag Pakistan into a competitive territory.
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First six of the innings
Pakistan's first six of the innings comes in the 13th over. Afridi clears his front leg and launches Tanzim into the top tier over midwicket for a huge six. Pakistan need more of these if they are to get to a competitive total. Afridi, btw, has the highest strike rate among Pakistan batters in this Asia Cup.
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Pakistan five down and sinking
Mustafizur Rahman, Bangladesh's fast spinner, now strikes in Dubai, having Pakistan captain Salman Agha nicking behind. Bangladesh review successfully and leave Pakistan at 49 for 5 in the 11th over. Do Bangladesh already have one foot in the final? The crowd is dancing to Mustafizur's tunes.
Well, it could've been 51 for 6 had Nurul not dropped Afridi off Rishad in the 12th over. In the same over, Mahedi drops Afridi off Rishad and hands him another life.
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Rishad's double-strike rattles Pakistan
Fakhar has going nowhere. He had dawdled to 12 off 19 balls in the powerplay. In the seventh over, leggie Rishad's first, he takes a risk by backing away and holing out to wide long-off. Fakhar gone for 13 off 21 balls. Rishad puts a smile on Mushtaq Ahmed's face. Bangladesh's spin consultant certainly enjoyed that. Was that a plan coming to fruition?
Well-executed plan or not, Rishad is changing the spin trend in Bangladesh. The country that used to churn out one left-arm spinner after another has now produced a gun wristspinner.
As I type, Rishad strikes again, snagging Talat with a wrong'un. Pakistan slump further to 33 for 4 in the ninth over. The ball is turning and gripping on this used surface and there seems to be no way out for Pakistan in Dubai. Two wickets to go with two catches: Rishad's night out in Dubai.
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Pakistan: Powerless in powerplay
27 Runs scored by Pakistan in the powerplay for the loss of two wickets. Only Hong Kong have scored fewer runs (23) in the powerplay in this eight-team tournament.
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Ayub bags another duck
With two left-hand batters Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub out in the middle, Jaker throws the ball to his offspinner Mahedi, who was among three changes for Bangladesh.
Mahedi, too, strikes in his first over on return. Ayub steps out, but does not meet the pitch, and ends up flapping a catch to mid-on for another duck. It's Ayub's fourth duck in six innings in the Asia Cup. He just can't break out of the funk. Pakistan in early trouble at 5 for 2 in 2 overs.
Most ducks for Pakistan in T20Is
10 - Umar Akmal9 - Saim Ayub
8 - Shahid Afridi
Namooh Shah, our statsman, adds that this is Ayub's ninth duck in 45 innings.
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Four and out! Farhan falls
Taskin Ahmed marks his return with the first-over wicket of the in-form Farhan. The Pakistan opener threw the first punch when he flayed Taskin between point and cover for four third ball. But next ball, Taskin has Farhan carving it straight to point. This nipped away from Farhan and posed a bit of threat to him. Gone for 4 off 4 balls.
100 No of wickets for Taskin in T20Is. He's the third Bangladesh bowler to the landmark after Mustafizur and Shakib.
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In the spotlight: Asian cricket
There was a roar in the crowd when Bangladesh won the toss earlier this evening. "Lots more Bangladesh support in the crowd than Pakistan," Danyal Rasool reports from the Dubai International Stadium. Fakhar opens the batting once again along with Farhan. Ayub will stay in the middle order.
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No Litton again, Jaker-led Bangladesh opt to bowl
Bangladesh opt to bowl vs Pakistan
Bangladesh's stand-in captain Jaker Ali won the toss and elected to bowl against Pakistan in what is a virtual semi-final in the Asia Cup. The winner of this game will face India in the final on Sunday.
Bangladesh's regular captain Litton Das missed a second game in two days with a side strain. Jaker took over the captaincy once and keeping gloves once again. Bangladesh made three changes. Nurul Hasan, allrounder Mahedi Hasan and fast bowler Taskin Ahmed replaced Tanzid Hasan, seamer Mohammad Saifuddin and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed.
As for Pakistan, they were unchanged from their win against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi earlier this week.
Jaker's decision at the toss went down well with his counterpart Salman Agha, who said Pakistan wanted to bat first anyway. The slower bowlers could thrive on what looked like a dry Dubai surface.
Bangladesh: 1 Saif Hassan, 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Towhid Hridoy, 4 Shamim Hossain, 5 Jaker Ali(capt, wk), 6 Nurul Hasan, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 11 Mustafizur Rahman
Pakistan: 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Saim Ayub, 4 Salman Agha(capt), 5 Hussain Talat, 6 Mohammad Haris(wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed
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Wahab, Aaron build up to Pakistan vs Bangladesh
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Rock & Roll It podcast
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Pakistan have the wood over Bangladesh
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Welcome!
India have already qualified for the final for the Asia Cup and are the team to beat. India's victory over Bangladesh yesterday also KO'd Sri Lanka, turning today's fixture between Bangladesh and Pakistan into a virtual semi-final. It's a quick turnaround for Bangladesh after they ran India close on Wednesday. Bangladesh's regular captain Litton Das missed the match against India with a side strain. Is he fit for today's high-stakes clash against Pakistan?
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