Pakistan overcome Bangladesh in 2nd T20I, seal series: Details here
What's the story
Pakistan has won their first T20I series at home in three years, defeating Bangladesh by a massive margin of 57 runs in the second match of the series. The victory came on Friday at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, where Sahibzada Farhan and Hasan Nawaz scored half-centuries to help Pakistan post a competitive total of 201/6. Abrar Ahmed then took three wickets in quick succession to derail Bangladesh's innings. Bangladesh perished for 144 runs.
Game changer
Abrar Ahmed's wickets lead to Bangladesh's collapse
Abrar's brilliant bowling turned the tide in Pakistan's favor, as he took three wickets for 19 runs from his 4 overs. The Bangladeshi batsmen went from a comfortable 44 for no loss to a precarious 70/6. In 11 matches, Abrar has raced to 17 wickets at an average of 18.47. This sudden collapse was instrumental in Pakistan securing the series victory and clinching their first T20I series at home in three years.
Historic feat
Tanzim Hasan Sakib's record-breaking performance
Despite Bangladesh's defeat, Tanzim Hasan Sakib made history by becoming the first batter from a Full Member nation to score a T20I half-century batting at No. 9 or lower, as per ESPNcricinfo. His innings of 50 off 31 balls included five sixes and came after Bangladesh was struggling at 77 for seven in the 10th over.
Key performers
Farhan and Nawaz's stellar contributions
Earlier, Farhan's explosive knock of 74 off just 41 balls, which included six sixes, was instrumental in Pakistan's innings. He shared a 103-run partnership for the second wicket with Mohammad Haris (41 off 25 balls) before Nawaz scored an unbeaten 51. Their contributions helped Pakistan post a challenging total of 201/6 on a batting-friendly surface at Gaddafi Stadium.
Match dynamics
Pakistan's powerplay performance and late innings slowdown
Pakistan's top-order batsmen, Farhan and Haris, took full advantage of the batting-friendly conditions, scoring 67 runs in the powerplay. This was Pakistan's highest powerplay score against Bangladesh, equalling their record from a match in Nairobi back in 2007. However, despite a strong start, Pakistan's innings slowed down in the final five overs with only two fours and a six being hit during this period.
Chase collapse
Bangladesh's chase falters under pressure
Bangladesh started their chase on a positive note with Tanzid Hasan scoring 17 runs in the first over. However, things took a turn when Haris Rauf dismissed Parvez Hossain Emon for eight. Faheem Ashraf then sent back Tanzid with a loose ball that was caught by Abrar at short fine-leg in the fifth over. Captain Litton Das lost his cool at his batting partner Towhid Hridoy for refusing a single, and he fell shortly after.