LAHORE: Pakistan displayed their clinical best as a team performance saw them thrash Bangladesh by 37 runs in the opening fixture of the three-match Twenty20 International series here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
Captain Salman Ali Agha led by example with the bat as Pakistan posted 201-7 before pacer Hasan Ali (5-30) impressed on his international return with a five-wicket haul to help the hosts bundle Bangladesh out for 164. Vice-captain Shadab Khan, meanwhile, put up an all-round show.
Salman had spoken of playing a brand of cricket that was “fearless but not careless” on the eve of the match and he was up to his words, leading Pakistan’s fightback with a half century after a difficult start.
After electing to bat, Salman smashed 56 off 34 (eight fours and a six), forming a 65-run partnership with Hasan Nawaz, who bludgeoned two fours and four sixes for 44 off 22. After both batters had perished in quick succession, Shadab launched a lower-order onslaught of 48 off 25 (five fours and two sixes).
Pakistan were two down within the first two overs as openers Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman were sent back to the pavilion by spinner Mahedi Hasan and pacer Shoriful Islam respectively.
Salman led a recovery of sorts along with first-drop Mohammad Haris (31 off 18, four fours and a six) to help the hosts to 52-2 in the powerplay before the latter became pacer Tanzim Hasan’s first wicket.
The wicket didn’t affect Salman’s intent, the right-hander driving Tanzim through the covers and playing a late cut off leg-spinner Rishad Hossain for fours.
The incoming Hasan also took on Rishad with a slog-sweep for six before Salman lifted Tanzim for another maximum over mid-wicket and showed his prowess through the off-side for two consecutive boundaries to bring up his half century in 29 balls as Pakistan reached 97-3 by the halfway stage.
Hasan rocked deep into the crease to dispatch Rishad over square-leg in the next over to bring up his fifty partnership with Salman in 26 balls. But the Pakistan captain departed after an uncharacteristic mishit on a full toss to get caught at cover and gift pacer Hasan Mahmud his first wicket in the 12th over.
After lofting Rishad over deep cover for six and getting two more boundaries, Hasan became the spinner’s victim in the 14th via a caught-and-bowled dismissal.
Pakistan reached 150-5 by the end of the 16th over before spinner Shamim Hossain got Khushdil Shah stumped. But Shadab carried on the momentum set by Hasan and Salman, slogging for two sixes and smashing through the covers off Rishad in the 17th over.
The Pakistan vice-captain got two more boundaries off Shoriful and was caught at deep point in the final over.
The start of Bangladesh’s response was thwarted by fast bowler Hasan, who was on the money in the powerplay, castling opener Tanzid Hasan (31 off 17, two fours and three sixes) and getting his partner Parvez Hossain caught at mid-on as Bangladesh managed 45-2 amid field restrictions.
Four tight overs by Pakistan’s spin duo of Abrar Ahmed and Shadab (2-26) kept Bangladesh quiet as they struggled at 75-2 midway through their innings.
But Bangladesh captain, and arguably their best batter, Litton Das, broke the deadlock with two sixes off Haris Rauf’s in the 11th over, driving the pacer inside-out over deep extra-cover before a top-edge off his bat flew over the fine-leg fence.
Litton, however, after having dug Shadab over wide long-on for six, faltered as he cut the next ball — a half-tracker — into the hands of Fakhar at point to walk off with 48 off 30 (one four and three sixes) against his name.
The rising scoreboard pressure then got to Towhid Hridoy, who missed a wild swing against Khushdil Shah’s left-arm spin to get trapped in front. Shamim was the next to go, getting stumped off a wide ball by off-spinner Salman Ali Agha in the 14th over, as Bangladesh crumbled at 118-5.
Shadab got his second wicket in the next over, taking a catch off his own bowling as Rishad skied an attempt to go big.
Jaker Ali, who had announced his arrival with a six off Shadab earlier, went after Haris for a four and a six each in the 17th over. The right-hander launched Hasan high and handsome over long-on for six more to give Bangladesh hope. But Hasan had the last laugh, bouncing Jaker out as he got caught at short fine-leg with 36 off 21 (one four and three sixes) against his name.
Hasan went on to get his fourth two balls later, catching Tanzim Hasan off his own bowling, virtually killing off Bangladesh’s chances before Faheem Ashraf got Mahedi Hasan and Hasan removed Shoriful Islam for his fifth scalp.
Scoreboard
PAKISTAN:
Fakhar Zaman lbw b Shoriful 1
Saim Ayub c&b Mahedi 0
Mohammad Haris c Tanzid b Tanzim 31
Salman Ali Agha c Tanzid b Hasan 56
Hasan Nawaz c&b Rishad 44
Shadab Khan c Rishad b Shoriful 48
Khushdil Shah st Litton b Shamim 5
Faheem Ashraf not out 11
Hasan Ali not out 1
EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-1, W-2) 4
TOTAL (for seven wickets, 20 overs) 201
DID NOT BAT: Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-1 (Saim), 2-5 (Fakhar), 3-53 (Haris), 4-118 (Salman), 5-139 (Hasan), 6-150 (Khushdil), 7-200 (Shadab)
BOWLING: Mahedi 4-0-36-1, Shoriful 3-0-32-2 (1w), Hasan 3-0-24-1 (1nb), Tanzim 2-0-22-1, Rishad 4-0-55-1 (1w), Shamim 4-0-31-1
BANGLADESH:
Tanzid Hasan b Hasan 31
Parvez Hossain c Rauf b Hasan 4
Litton Das c Fakhar b Shadab 48
Towhid Hridoy lbw b Khushdil 17
Jaker Ali c Abrar b Hasan 36
Shamim Hossain st Haris b Salman 4
Rishad Hossain c&b Shadab 4
Tanzim Hasan c&b Hasan 1
Mahedi Hasan c Nawaz b Faheem 2
Hasan Mahmud not out 9
Shoriful Islam c Shadab b Hasan 5
EXTRAS (LB-1, W-2) 3
TOTAL (all out, 19.2 overs) 164
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-14 (Parvez), 2-37 (Tanzid), 3-100 (Litton), 4-102 (Towhid), 5-108 (Shamim), 6-124 (Rishad), 7-148 (Jaker), 8-149 (Tanzim), 9-159 (Mahedi)
BOWLING: Faheem 3-0-18-1, Hasan 3.2-0-30-5 (1w), Abrar 4-0-35-0, Rauf 3-0-36-0, Shadab 4-0-26-2, Khushdil 1-0-6-1, Salman 1-0-12-1 (1w)
RESULT: Pakistan won by 37 runs.
PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Shadab Khan
Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2025
