Tamim's gesture and Azhar's time out

Tamim Iqbal's gestures upon reaching his fifth ODI hundred were about the non-stop critique that has surrounded him for the past six months. The outburst wasn't directed towards any particular stand but it was clear that Tamim was maddened by the relentless memes and jokes in the social media, as well as the constant questioning from the media about his position in the team. He took his gloves off, raised his hands up and repeatedly brought his fingers together to mimic the constant jabber. It was more intense than when he counted four after reaching a fourth consecutive fifty in the 2012 Asia Cup.

Like any captain on his first day at the job, Azhar Ali was at the bowler's ear quite often. It looked as though he was itching to be part of the action. He was keen for a review in the 11th over, but when Pakistan did decide to take the DRS in the 17th, they missed the 15-second deadline. Azhar's first real contribution in the field came a few minutes later when he moved smartly to his right at mid-off to stop a Tamim punch that was bound for a boundary.

Saad Nasim's legspin looked nonchalant for two overs before he drew a chance. It came off a gentle full toss, though, which Tamim, batting on 47, struck straight back at the bowler. But Nasim dropped the sitter. Amid his disappointment, he was quick to tell the wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed that he hadn't seen the ball properly. It would cost Pakistan 85 runs.

When Rahat Ali delivered a high full toss to Tamim in the 38th over, attention turned to the square-leg umpire, Sharfuddoula, who duly called it a no-ball. The crowd cheered heartily, remembering the no-ball that wasn't given. That decision in the Bangladesh-India World Cup quarter-final caused outrage in the nation for weeks, but would it be forgotten after this call?

Although Soumya Sarkar doesn't move his feet too often, he wouldn't lose too many marks for elegance. He brought out two shots in his short innings which would delight anyone who prefers simplicity. The first was a flick off Rahat over midwicket in the sixth over. He hardly moved, in fact nothing did, except the ball which raced through to the boundary. Even better was his boundary in Wahab Riaz's first over when he got up on tiptoe and placed the ball between point and cover. That little step up brought him on top of the ball and let him unfurl his elbows fully. This time there was a bit of chase from the fielders, but not for long.