An India-Pakistan Asia Cup final!
Pakistan 135 for 8 (Haris 31, Nawaz 25, Taskin 3-28, Rishad 2-18) beat Bangladesh 124 for 9 (Shamim 30, Shaheen 3-17, Rauf 3-33, Ayub 2-16) by 11 runs
It has taken more than 40 years but we finally have it: an India-Pakistan Asia Cup final. Pakistan scrapped their way into the final after defending 135 against Bangladesh on a used Dubai surface.
After Shaheen Shah Afridi struck twice in three powerplay overs, Pakistan's spinners tightened the screws, finding sharp turn and grip. After bagging his fourth duck in six innings in the Asia Cup, Ayub produced a double-strike and ensured Bangladesh's asking rate spiralled out of control.
It was one of those bizarre games where the team that hit more sixes ended up on the losing side. Throughout their entire innings, Pakistan had managed just five sixes. As for Bangladesh, they matched Pakistan's sixes tally by the tenth over, and ended up with seven sixes. They kept searching for more sixes, on a pitch that perhaps wasn't conducive to that style of batting, and kept holing out.
Pakistan's batters had suffered a similar meltdown earlier in the day, but their lower-middle order did enough to drag them to a competitive 135. It proved to be 11 too many for Bangladesh.
The full report will be up on the site shortly. Thanks for tuning in here
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Ayub strikes
Bangladesh have lost half their side within 12 overs, with the asking rate spiralling out of their control. Nurul backs away, Ayub tosses it wide of off and has him slicing a catch to wide long-off. Bangladesh need 73 off 50 balls, with five wickets in hand.
7 No. of wickets for Ayub in the Asia Cup
Make that No.8 for Ayub. The Bangladesh captain Jaker Ali slices a catch to wide long-off with Ayub shifting his line wider once again. Bangladesh are 73 for 6 in the 14th over.
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Bangladesh: 44 for 4
Despite losing wickets, Bangladesh continue to attack. This attempt to attack from Mahedi results in another wicket. He backs away and slices Nawaz to sweeper cover. Nawaz got the ball to turn, drawing a sliced hit from the batter. Mahedi gone for 11 off 10. Bangladesh are missing their captain and main batter Litton Das in this chase.
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Chaos
It's absolute chaos in the middle, and Pakistan mess up a run-out opportunity. The sequence starts with Ayub diving to his left and making a smart stop at point. Ayub throws to the non-striker's end where there's nobody backing up. Both Saif and Hridoy are at the striker's end. By the time mid-on comes in - and then fumbles the throw, Saif returns to the safety of the crease at the non-striker's end.
What happens next ball? Hridoy skews a catch to Ayub at point.
In the next over, Rauf draws a leading edge from Saif, which is caught at point. Bangladesh stumble to 29 for 3 in the sixth over.
"This is the second game in a row Pak bowl no spin in the powerplay," Danyal Rasool notes. "Before that that, this hadn't happened for 13 games."
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Shot Saif!
Just when Pakistan were building up a bit of pressure, Saif picks up a full ball from outside off and pounds it over mid-on for six in the second over. It's more than just a shot from Saif. It's a statement. This Bangladesh side knows the value of hitting sixes. Bangladesh need to maximise the powerplay when the ball is new and hard on this used surface.
In the fourth over, bowled by Rauf, Saif picks up a six over square leg for six more.
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Afridi does Afridi things
Shaheen Afridi does Shaheen Afridi things: he strikes in the first over. But this one isn't off a big-swinging delivery. It short and into the chest, Parvez Hossain hooks and splices it to long leg, where Nawaz judges it well and takes the catch. The next ball, an awayswinger, beats the outside edge of Hridoy. Are Afridi and Pakistan onto something?
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Bangladesh restrict Pakistan to 135 for 8
Pakistan 135 for 8 (Haris 31, Nawaz 25, Taskin 3-28, Rishad 2-18) vs Bangladesh
Bangladesh seemed to have one foot in the Asia Cup final, for which India have already qualified, after keeping Pakistan to 135 for 8 on a used Dubai surface. Taskin, Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Mahedi Hasan and Rishad Hossain shared the spoils for Bangladesh.
It was Taskin, who had been rested for Wednesday's match against India, who had struck in the very first over when he had the in-form Sahibzada Farhan carving a catch to point for a run-a-ball 4. In the next over, Saim Ayub holed out to mid-on off Mahedi Hasan, who was also back in the team, bagging his fourth duck in six innings at the Asia Cup. In all, it was Ayub's ninth duck in 45 T20I innings; only Umran Akmal has bagged more ducks (10 in 79 innings) for Pakistan in the format.
Fakhar Zaman was going nowhere in the powerplay - he managed only 12 off 18 balls during this phase. Then, when he tried to hit his way out of trouble, he sliced Rishad to wide long-off for 13 off 20 balls. In his next over, Rishad removed Hussain Talat with a wrong'un, leaving Pakistan at 33 for 4 in the ninth over.
After taking two catches, Rishad had struck twice with the ball, having the Bangladesh fans in the crowd dancing to his tunes. Rishad could've also had Afridi, who was dropped twice off him in the 12th over. Rishad gave away just a single boundary, finishing with figures of 4-0-18-2.
Afridi hit the first six of the innings in the 13th over and struck one more in the next over before miscuing a knee-high full-toss off Taskin to the keeper. The fast bowler came away with figures of 4-0-28-3 and along the way became only the third Bangladesh player, after Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, to 100 T20I wickets.
That Pakistan crossed 120 was down to late cameos from Mohammad Haris (31 off 23 balls) and Mohammad Nawaz (25 off 15 balls). Eleven runs off the final over pushed Pakistan past 130 , but it was still Advantage Bangladesh at the halfway stage.
Regular captain Litton Das, who missed a second game in two days with a side strain, knew it and warmly welcomed back his bowlers.
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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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