Bangladesh cricket team concluded their disappointing campaign in the Tri-Nation Twenty20 International Series with fourth consecutive loss, as Pakistan won the dead rubber by seven wickets in Christchurch Thursday.
On the day, the Tigers posted 173/6 – their highest score in the tri-series – but Pakistan’s experience told in the end as they paced their chase perfectly, even though it was achieved with one ball to spare.
The way Pakistan planned their chase was a case in point as to why they are an established force in the shortest format and Bangladesh are still struggling in 20-over cricket.
Most of the work was done by the in-form duo Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who put on 101 for the opening wicket.
They were helped along the way by a costly miss by fine-leg fielder Saifuddin who dropped Rizwan when he was batting on 32.
Captain Babar struck nine fours in his 40-ball 55 (29th T20I fifty) while Rizwan went on to hit four boundaries in his 56-ball 69 (22nd T20I half century).
Right-arm seamer Hasan Mahmud (2/27) sent back both Babar and No 3 batter Haider Ali (nought) in the 13th over to spark some Bangladesh hope of a consolation win.
But it was snuffed out eventually by No 4 batsman Mohammad Nawaz, who was unbeaten on a quickfire 20-ball 45, featuring five fours and a maximum.
Earlier, quick fifties from Liton Das and skipper Shakib al Hasan steered Bangladesh to 173/6 in the sixth and last game of the round robin campaign.
Liton posted his seventh T20I half century (first against Pakistan and on New Zealand soil) before perishing for a well constructed 42-ball 69, while Shakib played the same number of deliveries for his entertaining 68 – 12th time he crossed fifty in T20Is.
Perhaps Bangladesh’s best batting display in the tri-series, it all came too late in the dead rubber, ahead of Friday’s grand finale between hosts New Zealand and Pakistan.
The Tigers had elected to bat in their bid of a consolation win prior to their departure to Australia for the all-important T20 World Cup.
All-rounder Mosaddek Hossain and right-arm seamer Ebadat Hossain made way for right-arm pacemen Taskin Ahmed and Hasan in two changes for the Tigers.
The troubles in the top-order though continued as Soumya Sarkar (four) and Nazmul Hossain Shanto (12) – yet another different opening pair tried by team management before T20 World Cup – departed early.
Liton and Shakib however, recovered the early damage with their 88-run stand for the third wicket.
The right-handed Liton hit over the Hagley Oval boundary ropes twice, besides striking half a dozen fours, while Shakib hammered seven fours and three maximums to give the Tigers a fighting total.
Liton too got a reprieve on 22 when Shan Masood missed a straightforward catch at backward point off the bowling of Mohammad Hasnain – Pakistan’s only change of this game in place of Shahnawaz Dahani.
Worryingly for Bangladesh, Liton hurt his right leg while hitting a leg-side boundary when he was on two.
Till the rest of his innings, the top-order batsman was seen limping while taking a quick single or double.
After the departures of Liton and Shakib, Bangladesh’s total somewhat petered along to 173/6.
Right-arm seamers Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim bagged two wickets each.
Bangladesh will head directly to Australia for the T20 World Cup where they will first play two warm-up matches against Afghanistan and South Africa on October 17 and 19 respectively.
Bangladesh will begin their T20 World Cup mission on October 24, taking on the runners-up side of Group A from the qualifiers round.
Bangladesh: Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib al Hasan (C), Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Yasir Ali, Saifuddin, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Shariful Islam
Pakistan: Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Haider Ali, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain
