Tigers whitewashed as batting misery continues

The Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur saw an absolute thriller of a match and Pakistan in the end emerged victorious after a very eventful last over. The match went right down the wire and Mohammad Nawaz held his nerves to hit a match-winning boundary off the last over of the match to help Pakistan earn a five-wicket win. 

Pakistan were cruising along to a target of 125 but a superb penultimate over from Shohidul Islam brought Bangladesh back into the match. Mahmudullah picked up as many as three wickets in the final over but Pakistan triumphed and clinched the series 3-0. Haider Ali top-scored for Pakistan with 45.

Bangladesh changed the opening pair and promoted the in-form Najmul Hossain Shanto to inaugurate the innings with Mohammad Naim. But the left-handed batter was dismissed in the second over by pacer Shahnawaz Dahani. Shanto scored five off five.

Shamim Hossain, playing his first match in the series, was given an opportunity to bat at three. He played a few good shots but couldn't carry on for a long time. Shamim added 30 off 35 balls with Naim before the former was dismissed by leg-spinner Usman Qadir in the 8th over. 

Naim and Afif then stuck together for seven overs and put on a handy partnership of 43 runs. Afif got off to yet another good start but failed to convert it into a big one. He struggled against leg-spin in the previous two matches and despite hitting Qadir for a maximum, he got out to him in the end. Afif scored 20 and it was the third time he was dismissed by a leg-spinner in the series. When he departed, Bangladesh were 80 for three in the 15th over.

Photo: Salahuddin Ahmed/TBS

At the toss, Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah stated that he would be happy with a score around 140. The hosts had wickets in hand at the 15-over mark but it was a struggle for them in the slog overs. Bangladesh lost four wickets between overs 16 and 20 and couldn't score more than 35 runs. In the end, they posted 124 for seven after 20 overs.

Opener Mohammad Naim was there in the middle till the penultimate over but couldn't accelerate when the team needed him to do so. He was dismissed for a 50-ball-47. Bangladesh played as many as 55 dot balls. 

For Pakistan, Mohammad Wasim and Usman Qadir picked up two wickets each. Haris Rauf and Dahani got one apiece. 

Chasing a moderate target of 125, Pakistan openers - Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan - collected 28 runs in the powerplay. It was the first time the visiting side did not lose any wicket inside the first six overs.

But Babar was dismissed in the very next over off a rank long hop as he hit that straight to the fielder. The Pakistan skipper made 19 off 25. It was a rare series where he couldn't get into the groove.

Bangladeshi bowlers, especially the spinners - Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed and Biplob - then kept Rizwan and Haider Ali quiet and slowed things down. But the duo hung on and kept the scoreboard ticking. 

Pakistan required 42 off the last five overs and Shohidul Islam, the debutant fast bowler, struck right then to dismiss Rizwan for 40. He added 49 with Haider Ali for the second wicket. 

Haider took charge after Rizwan got out and smashed two sixes in the same over to bring the required run rate down big time. 

Shohidul redeemed himself after that over and conceded only seven runs in the penultimate over despite bowling a no-ball. That meant skipper Mahmudullah had to defend seven off the last over. 

The final over started in the best way possible for the home side. Mahmudullah began with a dot ball and then dismissed Sarfaraz Ahmed and Haider Ali in successive deliveries as both of them went for big shots and couldn't time it to perfection. 

Iftikhar Ahmed walked out when Pakistan needed eight off three balls. He smashed a six off the fourth delivery to bring the equation down to two off two balls. 

Drama intensified when Mahmudullah dismissed Iftikhar in the fifth ball but Mohammad Nawaz finished things off with a four off the last ball.