Mushfiq and Mustafiz guided Tigers in Asia Cup final
Photo - ICC
|| Desk Report ||
Experienced batsman Mushfiqur Rahim scored a massive half-century coupled by Mutafizur Rahman four-wicket haul guided Bangladesh to the Asia Cup final as they defeated Pakistan by 37 runs in the in their must-win game in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Mushfiqur missed a deserving century by one runs but not before putting up another rescue act with Mohammad Mithun(60) as Tigers reached 239 runs after being reduced to 12-3 and later Mustfizur 4-43 helped Tigers restrict their opponent to 202-9 and secure a place in the final.
Bangladesh looked set for another meltdown until Mushfiqur Rahim's superb 99 proved otherwise after coming into the game without their premier all-rounder Sakib al Hasan as he flown back to Dhaka after being ruled out from the tournament due to his recurrent finger injury.
Mushfiqur's wicket triggered a collapse that saw Bangladesh lose their last five wickets for 42 runs that looked to have restricted them from posting an above-par total on the board.
The absence of Sakib experience looked to be a blessing in disguise as far as Pakistan was concerned but that looked far from since they began their chase due to the fact that they lost wickets at regular intervals, courtesy Mustafizur.
The heroics of Mushfiq and Mithun on the second time in the tournament proved that their rearguard effort against Sri Lanka wasn’t a fluke as the duo added 144 runs for the fourth wicket - Bangladesh's highest fourth-wicket stand against Pakistan and guide Tigers to a respectable total.
Left-arm paceman Junaid Khan, who replaced Mohammad Amir in the squad, had jolted Bangladesh at the start, dismissing Liton Das (six), Soumya Sarkar (0) and Mominul Haque (five) to reduce them to 12-3.
Junaid finished with 4-19 in his nine incisive overs.
Mushfiq hit nine boundaries before he was caught behind with just one needed for a second hundred in the tournament, following his 144 against Sri Lanka in the first round.
That reaffirming stand between Rahim and Mithun then flourished, the duo keeping up well with Pakistan spinners bowling quick on a well-grassed wicket. First-change Hasan Ali was equally complicit in Pakistan's plight, failing to keep up the pressure built by the opening bowlers until he struck with Mithun's wicket with a well-deceived short ball that flew back to him off a top-edge.
Shadab Khan's near immediate wicket of Imrul Kayes meant that Mushfiqur, then on 80, had to bat right through for Bangladesh to bat Pakistan out of the match. Mushfiqur fell on 99 though, edging Shaheen Afridi to the wicketkeeper.
Junaid Khan razed through Mehidy Hasan and Mahmudullah in successive overs, ending with 4 for 19 in the nine overs he bowled.
In reply Imam-ul- Haq, who scored 83 runs, looked to have batted with some purpose and was poised of scripting a comeback tale before he was removed by Mahuddullah to end all the hopes of Pakistan in the tournament.
Pakistan were reeling at 18-3 before Imam and Shoaib Malik(30) added 67 runs for the fourth wicket to resurrect their innings before the pair was separated by Rubel Hossain after Mashrafee took a stunner that compounded a premature end of Malik batting display. None other looked to be offering any severe threat for Tigers and once they showed any indication of making a match out of it their opponent shattered their dream by managing to give a tit for tat on every occasion. Mehedy coming to open the bowling attack grabbed 2-28 to make sure asking run rates always remain a matter of concern for Pakistan.
