In keeping with their dismal form, Bangladesh lost to Pakistan by seven wickets Wednesday at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, their sixth straight loss in the ICC Cricket World Cup.
Pakistan easily crushed the Tigers’ meek 204 in 32.3 overs, losing only three wickets, before they were all out in 45.1 overs. Pakistan has only won an ODI World Cup game with more than 100 balls remaining four times.
Opening batsman Fakhar Zaman, who rejoined the team when Imam-ul-Hauqe went out of form, expedited the victory with a 74-ball 81, an innings full of three fours and seven sixes.
Abdullah Shafique, his opening partner, hit 69 balls for 68 runs, including two sixes and nine fours.
In the first stand, Fakhar and Shafique shared 128 to dash Bangladesh’s hopes of applying any pressure given their meager resources.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz, an offspinner from Bangladesh, claimed all three of Pakistan’s lost wickets.
Iftikhar Ahmed was on 17 and Mohammed Rizwan was on 26, and they completed the deal without any problems after Pakistan lost three wickets in quick succession.
In form Mahmudullah Riyad hit a half-century to help Bangladesh propel past 200-run mark after a familiar top order collapse.
Opener Liton Das made 45 and skipper Shakib Al Hasan scored 43 to be the only two major contributors alongside Mahmudullah’s 56 in a pitch that was otherwise a good batting track.
Fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-23) and Mohammad Wasim (3-31) wrecked havoc on Bangladesh batting, sharing six wickets between them. Another pacer Haris Rauf also played his part well with 2-36.
After opting to bat first, Bangladesh were reduced them to 23-3, keeping the trend of their top order collapse which proved to a spot of bother in this World Cup for them.
Afridi trapped Taznid Hasan Tamim leg-before in the first over for duck and then had Najmul Hossain Shanto (4) caught by Usama Mir at square leg as Bangladesh slumped to 6-2 in the third over.
This was Shanto’s sixth consecutive single-digit figure dismissal after a half-century against Afghanistan in the tournament’s opening game.
The situation got worsened when Haris Rauf dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim for 5.
Liton and Mahmudullah resisted with the former looking to his sublime best. Mahmudullah also carried his form after getting the chance to bat at No.5 after a long time.
Offspinner Iftikhar Ahmed dismissed Liton as he was just five runs short of his third half-century in the tournament, ending his 79-run partnership with Mahmudullah.
Shakib joined Mahmudullah and looked determined to snap his bad patch but Afirid returned to his second spell to rattle Mahmudullah’s stump with a gem of fast bowling.
Mahmudullah struck six fours and one six in 70 balls for his 56.
After being left off the squad for the previous two games, Towhid Hridoy was back in the lineup, however he was out for seven runs without producing anything noteworthy.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib put up 45 runs for the seventh wicket before Haris Rauf took the captain of Bangladesh for four boundaries.
However, his innings proved vital in helping the team surpass 200 runs, even though it seemed implausible at first.
Miraz, who scored 25 off 30 with one four and one six, was among those for whom Wasim tidied up the tail. Bangladesh’s next game is scheduled for November 6 in Delhi against Sri Lanka.
