Asia Cup 2023: PAK vs BAN Review – Pace power rattles Bangladesh in Lahore
Pakistan and Bangladesh locked horns in the opening fixture of the Super Fours stage of the Asia Cup on Wednesday, September 6 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Opting to bat first, Shakib Al Hasan and Co. were bundled out for 193 in 38.4 overs thanks to some fiery bowling from the likes of Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah and some questionable shot selection from the Bangladesh. That resulted in the Tigers managing to put up a modest total on the board.
Rauf finished with a four-for while Naseem bagged three wickets. Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim hit half-centuries and resurrected their team from a precarious situation at 47/4. However, after their dismissals, the lower order was blown away by the Pakistani pacers. Bangladesh needed to make Pakistan work hard for their runs and field out of their skins to pose a challenge. However, Shakib’s men were not great on the field as they gave away some bonus runs to the two-time Asia Cup winners.
Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam departed after getting starts, but half-centuries from Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan steered Pakistan to a safe territory. The former departed for a well-compiled 78 but Rizwan stayed till the end and finished the match with Salman Ali Agha for company, with seven wickets and 10.3 overs left in the bank.
Best batter of the match
Imam-ul-Haq: The stylish left-hander has been a consistent performer for Pakistan, especially in ODI cricket, where he averages over 50. He played the Bangladeshi pacers as well as spinners with consummate ease during his innings of 78 off 84 balls. During the patient knock, the southpaw hit five fours and four sixes.
Best bowler of the match
Haris Rauf: The 29-year-old was on song against Bangladesh as he bowled with a lot of venom. He mixed his lengths and hurried the Bangladeshi batters into their shots. Rauf finished with excellent figures of 4/19 in six overs. With this outing, Rauf went to the top of the list of highest wicket-takers in the ongoing Asia Cup tournament with nine scalps from three games.
What’s next for the two teams: Bangladesh will face Sri Lanka on Saturday, September 9 in Colombo. Pakistan, on the other hand, will take on arch-rivals India on Sunday, September 10 at the same venue.
