Tue, 29 Nov 2011 - Bangladesh vs Pakistan, Pakistan Tour of Bangladesh 2011-12, Only T20I

Pakistan crush ordinary Bangladesh

A clinical bowling performance from Pakistan combined with a listless Bangladesh batting as the hosts were crushed by 50 runs in the tour opening Twenty20 international. With spinners dominating the game, Pakistan put 135 on the board while as, a near capitulation meant Bangladesh could only manage 85 for 9.

Pakistan despite a brisk start were stifled by the army of Bangladesh spinners with wickets falling at regular intervals to be restricted to 135 for seven. After electing to bat on a spin-friendly track, Imran Farhat teed off with a flicked boundary in the very first over bowled by Shafiul Islam. Left arm spinner Abdur Razzaq started proceedings from the other end but it did not take long before spin took center stage.

In the fourth over, Farhat crashed two fours off Shakib-al-Hasan but the bowler changed his pace on the next delivery to have him caught behind for 16. The same bowler cut short Hafeez’s stay with a straighter one after he had reached 25 from 31 deliveries. Pakistan were going nicely at more than run-a-ball when the second wicket fell in the ninth over.

Umar Akmal smashed Rubel Hossain for two back to back boundaries but spin once again did the trick for Bangladesh. Alok Kapali foxed him with a leg-break, Asad Shafiq and Shoaib Malik followed Umar to the pavilion as Pakistan lost three wickets in twelve deliveries sucking out whatever momentum the innings had.

Shahid Afridi hit a six on the second delivery he faced, depositing Razzaq over long-on, another attempt, however, gave Kapali his second wicket of the evening. Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq tried to stage a mini-recovery, but the runs were hard to come by. In the last eight overs, Pakistan line-up packed with power hitters managed only two fours and a six, thus struggling to cross even 140.

Chasing what appeared to be a modest 136-run total, the hosts were in with more than a chance of shocking their in-form opponents. All they needed were some calm heads but equanimity is a rare commodity when Bangladesh is batting.

Pakistan opened with the off-spin of Hafeez, who conceded only one run in the first over. In the next over, Umar Gul trapped Naeem Islam with a quickish delivery to peg back the chase and Hafeez removed Kapali for zero to further dent it.

Imrul Kayes was run-out in last over of the fielding restrictions as Bangladesh struggled to get going. When Hafeez disturbed Shakib’s furniture, the chase had almost hit a wall with wickets falling in a heap. One more wicket fell before the first boundary of the Bangladesh innings was struck in the ninth over.

Mushfiqur Rahim was probably their last hope but his run-out followed by Shahid Afridi’s twin strike shut Bangladesh out of the contest. Nasir Hossain hit an unbeaten 35 to save his team from the ignominy of being rolled over inside the twenty overs but that didn’t wasn’t enough to save them from a humiliating loss.