Sarkar's clever boundary catch, Afridi misses out on a record
Plays of the day from the World T20 match between Bangladesh and Pakistan
Mohammad Isam
16-Mar-2016
The fine judgement
Bangladesh needed something special in the field to lift themselves when Pakistan were batting, and that effort came in the 17th over from Soumya Sarkar. Running to his left at deep midwicket he first kept Mohammad Hafeez's slog sweep in play by catching it and lobbing it up in the air. Then after bringing himself back inside the rope, Soumya waited for the ball to come down and completed the catch. It was a stunning take that showed impeccable judgement under pressure.
Bangladesh needed something special in the field to lift themselves when Pakistan were batting, and that effort came in the 17th over from Soumya Sarkar. Running to his left at deep midwicket he first kept Mohammad Hafeez's slog sweep in play by catching it and lobbing it up in the air. Then after bringing himself back inside the rope, Soumya waited for the ball to come down and completed the catch. It was a stunning take that showed impeccable judgement under pressure.
The misjudgement
The second ball of the match saw Sharjeel Khan miscue a pull shot off Taskin Ahmed, perhaps beaten by extra pace. But the ball ballooned towards mid-on where Tamim Iqbal first came forward and then had to turn and backtrack. By that time, the ball had thudded into the ground. It will not be counted as a dropped chance but it was a chance for Bangladesh nevertheless, and a costly one given how Sharjeel went after Al-Amin Hossain in the next over.
The second ball of the match saw Sharjeel Khan miscue a pull shot off Taskin Ahmed, perhaps beaten by extra pace. But the ball ballooned towards mid-on where Tamim Iqbal first came forward and then had to turn and backtrack. By that time, the ball had thudded into the ground. It will not be counted as a dropped chance but it was a chance for Bangladesh nevertheless, and a costly one given how Sharjeel went after Al-Amin Hossain in the next over.
The missed milestone
Umar Akmal holds the record for Pakistan's fastest T20I fifty off 21 balls but with three balls remaining in the Pakistan innings, Shahid Afridi, who was on 49 off 18 balls, had a shot at claiming that record. All he needed was a single, but when he got the strike back from Shoaib Malik, Afridi swung hard at Taskin Ahmed and found Mahmudullah at deep midwicket. Apart from the record, Afridi missed out on his first T20I fifty since June 2012; he has hit four fifties in all at this level.
Umar Akmal holds the record for Pakistan's fastest T20I fifty off 21 balls but with three balls remaining in the Pakistan innings, Shahid Afridi, who was on 49 off 18 balls, had a shot at claiming that record. All he needed was a single, but when he got the strike back from Shoaib Malik, Afridi swung hard at Taskin Ahmed and found Mahmudullah at deep midwicket. Apart from the record, Afridi missed out on his first T20I fifty since June 2012; he has hit four fifties in all at this level.
The shoe slips off
In the eighth over of Bangladesh's chase, Shakib Al Hasan was trying to take a single, after playing the ball towards third man, from where Ahmed Shehzad came running in. Tamim quickly sent Shakib back, but in the ensuing confusion, the latter lost his shoe. The batsman had enough time to return to the crease, however, as Shehzad had also slipped while collecting the ball. Afridi courteously offered the shoe back to Shakib, who had a big smile on his face.
In the eighth over of Bangladesh's chase, Shakib Al Hasan was trying to take a single, after playing the ball towards third man, from where Ahmed Shehzad came running in. Tamim quickly sent Shakib back, but in the ensuing confusion, the latter lost his shoe. The batsman had enough time to return to the crease, however, as Shehzad had also slipped while collecting the ball. Afridi courteously offered the shoe back to Shakib, who had a big smile on his face.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84