Pakistan verses Bangladesh Pakistani nation along with millions of other are witnessing the thrilling and nail biting matches in Asia Cup. Later, it was with India in which Shahid Afridi managed to confirm the victory by his famous style of hitting. He hit two sky-high long sixes to the Indian’s best spinner in the final over and snatched the victory from the Indians mouth. Match against India in Asia cup was really a heartbeat stopping match. Now, today, in Dhaka, Pakistan was facing Bangladesh. Bangladesh did not win any match in this tournament so far and they were wishing if they could make a single victory. Pakistan started his bowling and fielding and Abdur-rehman, leg arm off spinner of Pakistan gave 8 runs without being ball a single legal delivery in a very first over of the match. He did 3 consecutive waist high illegal balls and umpire takes a ball from him. He could not ball after that in a whole match. Junaid Khan was not a part of the squad and Sharjeel khan, who is an opening batsmen for Pakistan was unfit as well. Fawad Aalam was called into the team on his place. Bangladesh scored huge 325 runs and gave a target of 326 to Pakistan to win the match. It seems very difficult and almost impossible in the first look but today was a day to write a history. Cricket is a game where you cannot predict cent percent; there is always possibility and probability. Bangladesh’s skipper Anamul Haq scored a ton against Pakistan and makes the position of Bengals strong in the match. Their first wicket was fallen in 29th over when Imrul Keyas, 59, was caught behind the wicked by Umar on bowling of Mohammad Talha, who balled very well against India before that match; Bangladesh was on 150 at that moment with their very first wicket down. Anam-ul-Haq, The skipper of Bengali side scored important hundred against Pakistan and contributed in huge target very well. He faced 132 balls with 75.75 of strike rate. He smashed four sixes and six fours and was caught by Ahmad Shahzad when top world class off spinner Saeed Ajmal was bowling in 40th over. On that stage, Bangladesh was on 204 with two wickets down. Momin-ul-Haq was caught by Professor Hafeez by the same magician in 45th over. Bangladesh was now 249 with loss of their 3 wickets. Shakib-ul-Hassan scored 44 on just 16 balls. He played fast and with controlled nerves. His strike rate in this match was 275. Mushfiq-ur-Rehman scored 51 on 33 deliveries with 108.51 strike rate. Both batsmen left the ground not out. It was total of 326 with 21 extras for Bangladesh. Bengali tigers have 327 runs target to Pakistan to chase it. Its look like bangladeshs day and no doubt, they batted well against Pakistan. Hafeez, Gul, Afridi, Rehman, Fawad, Sohaib did not get any wicket. Saeed Ajmal took 2 wickets and Talha took one. Pakistani opening couple started a game in sensible manner very carefully. Both, Ahmad Shahzad and Mohammad Hafeez showed their good and reasonable game. Hafeez was playing some how fast and Ahmad Shahzad was rotating the strike. He was playing very slow and gave dot balls in the early innings of Pakistan. Pakistan faced a loss of first wicket when Professor did not calculate his shoot and catch goes to Imrul Kayas who well collected it when Momin-ul-Haq was bowling. Professors strike rate was 94.54 and he faced 55 balls in which he throw 8 balls out of the boundary for four runs each. Pakistan lost his first wicket on 97 in 21st over of the innings. Green sides skipper Misbah-ul-Haq walked in at that moment and positioned to bat. But, he went bold by Shakib-ul-Hassan when he tried to sweep the shot. Bowl comes into the wicket and his hit on the off stemp. Skipper faced only 4 balls and he scored only 4 runs because of the boundary as well. He walked out the ground leaving the pressure on the team. Bangladeshis were enjoying and dancing at that moment and they were shouting in favor of their team to keep their moral up. Pakistan were on 102 and 21.5 overs have been bowled. A next batsman was Sohaib Maqsood comes in but got dismissal because of Umpire’s wrong decision in the 23rd over of the inning. Ball was almost 6 inch far away from the bat when Bengali keeper collects it behind the wicket and appealed for out. Umpire raised his finger and Sohaib was forced to leave the ground. He was smiling on that wrong decision because he knows he was not legally out. Later, in replay, it was clearly a wrong decision in favor of Bangladesh. Sohaib left the pitch with individual score of 2 while he faced 5 balls. Pakistan was 105 for 3 wickets in 22.5 overs of the game. Fawad Aalm joined Ahmad Shahzad on that pressured and crucial moment. Both players showing their responsible batting at that time and faced the bowlers very well. They played very carefully and bear the pressure. Meanwhile Pakistani opener Ahmad Shahzad completed his century against Bangladesh. He cheers his century while thumbs up only. He did not remove his helmet neither he raised his bat to the crowd or to the dugout. On the other end Fawad Alam gave his full support to Ahmad Shahzad although he playing fast to release the pressure. Ahmad Shahzad was bold by Abdulrazzak when he delivered slow Yorker to him. He scored 103 runs with 12 fours and one six with 83.73 of strike rate. Pakistan was 210-4 while 38.3 overs were bowled. There were two hitters behind at that moment, Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal. Instead of sending one of them, Skipper sends Abdul-Rehman. Abdul Rehman is not a proper batsmen and every one was surprising with his decision. Anyways, Abdul rehman takes the strike and start playing his innings. That partnership increased 15 runs in the total and abdur-rehman left the ground on total of 225. He scored 8 runs on 8 balls was caught by Ziaur Rehman when Mahmadullah was bowling. Pakistan were 225 for five while 42nd over was on go. And, here comes Shahid Afridi who is famous because of his batting style. He is hard hitter. If he starts hitting then he can change the scenario which he did in this very game. He takes the position when it seems that Pakistan has almost lost the match and there were no hopes at that time. One reason was that Afridi is not trust worthy player as he can be out because of his any stupid shot as well but that was Afridi’s day. He smashed a six on his very first ball he was facing and then he starts playing in the style he is famous. He through huge sky kissing 7 sixes and 2 fours and contributed his valuable and needing 59 runs on just 25 deliveries. His strike rate was 236.00. He was run out by Shakib-ul-Hasan as he could not stretch his full arm to get into the crease in. But, he has done his job at that time and match was turned into Pakistan’s side. He was like a character in a movie that changed the whole script when he walked in and took the charge. Pakistan was 294 with their 6 wickets down. Fawad Aalm, who was well settled on the crease at that time and Umar Akmal was behind who came right after that dismissal to join Aalam. Later, Fawad Alam was run out on 74 by Al-Amin Hossain. He smashed 2 sixes and four fours while he faced 70 balls. His strike rate was 105.71. Pakistan was 325 and his 6 wickets were lost. The match was decided in the final over when Umar Akmal hit a hard four. Pakistan managed to chase their highest ever target in Sher-e-Bangla Stadium. Crowd was fully supporting their team, Bangladesh and they were all silent when Pakistan unbelieving won the match. Batsmen show the responsibility and defeated the host by 3 wickets with one ball remaining. Shafiul Islam, Al-Amin and Nasir got no wicket while Mahmudullah, Adul Razzak and Shakib-ul-Hassan get one wicket each. Momin-ulHaq was their leading bowler who took 2 wickets. Shahid Afridi collects his man of the man award of his fast fifty as his inning changed the whole scenario. I would like to thanks Almighty Allah because without his blessing nothing is impossible said Shahid Afridi while receiving his man of the match performance. He also said that he only needs just a confidence which Moin Khan is giving him on this stage. Pakistan will face Srilanka in the final of Asia cup on March 8, 2014. India has now no chance to reaches in the final. Indian former cricketers turned cricket analyst was analyzing that Indian could be reached in final if this and that circumstances were while calculators in their hands. But, poorly they have to remain silent after Pakistan showed this outstanding performance.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 07:24:58 +0000
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