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Pakistan recovered from an indefinite 24-4 win over Bangladesh by four wickets in their first three Twenty20 matches on Friday.
The match was in limbo, then there were three overs left. Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz hit two sixes each as Pakistan reached 132-6 in 19.2 overs, beating Bangladesh 127-7.
Fakhar Zaman And Khushdil Shah started Pakistan’s recovery with a 56-run stand for the fifth wicket. Fakhar smashed one 34 off pacer Taskin Ahmed into the hands of wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan, and pacer Shorful Islam dismissed Khushdil with a slower delivery.
The visitors needed 32 runs in the last three overs and Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz broke Bangladesh’s hold.
Shadab scored an unbeaten 21 off 10, hitting the winning six off leg-spinner Aminul Islam at deep midwicket.
Aminul, one of the home team’s specialist bowlers, came to bowl in the last over only when Pakistan needed two runs to win.
Nawaz remained unbeaten on 18 off eight.
In front of the fast bowler, Pakistan made a cautious start on a slow pitch. Mustafizur Rahman The stumps of Mohammad Rizwan were dodged for 11 runs. captain Babar Azmi One on 7 was dragged to his stumps, but Bangladesh failed to maintain that pressure till the end.
The loss eventually happened when it was reduced to 127-7, continuing the poor batting record that troubled Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup. The team has lost six T20 matches in a row.
pakistan pacer Hassan Ali, with 3-23, began a collapse, leaving Bangladesh at 40-4 in the ninth over. Afif Hossain scored the highest 36 runs for the team and Mahedi Hasan remained unbeaten on 30 which helped the team to reach the 100 mark. The second match is on Saturday.
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