Bangladesh created history by winning their first-ever T20I series against Pakistan with a thrilling eight-run victory in the second match on Tuesday in Dhaka. The home side took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series after this win.
Bangladesh batted first after Pakistan sent them in and scored 133 before losing all wickets in 20 overs. Jaker Ali led the charge with a solid 48-ball 55, his third T20I half-century. He smashed five sixes and a boundary to keep the scoreboard moving.
Although Bangladesh lost four wickets for just 28 runs by the sixth over, Jaker and Mahedi Hasan rebuilt the innings. They added a crucial 53-run stand for the fifth wicket. Mahedi scored 33 off 25 balls with two sixes and two boundaries. On the other hand, Salman Mirza impressed for Pakistan with 2 for 17 while debutant Ahmed Daniyal claimed 2 for 23.
In response, Pakistan struggled from the start. They slumped to 15 for five by the fifth over on a slow Mirpur pitch. Shoriful Islam produced his best T20I figures of 3 for 17 and destroyed Pakistan’s top order.
Saim Ayub fell to a run out for one in the first over. Soon after, Fakhar Zaman (8) and Mohammad Haris (0) also departed as Bangladesh tightened their grip on the match.
However, Faheem Ashraf fought back strongly. He smashed an aggressive 32-ball 51 with four sixes and four boundaries. Along with Abbas Afridi, who hit 19 off 13 balls, Ashraf shared a 41-run stand to revive Pakistan’s hopes.
Ahmed Daniyal also contributed with a quick 17 off 11 balls, but he holed out in the final over. Earlier, Rishad Hossain dismissed Ashraf in the penultimate over, ending Pakistan’s chances. Consequently, Pakistan folded for 125 in 19.2 overs.
Bangladesh captain Litton Das praised his team for the achievement. “It’s wonderful to win back-to-back series,” he said. “This shows good improvement in our standards.”
Pakistan skipper Salman Agha expressed disappointment. “We thought 134 would be gettable, but we lost too many wickets early on and that’s something we must address quickly,” he admitted.
Bangladesh had already won the first match by seven wickets at the same venue. The final game will take place on Thursday in Dhaka. Significantly, this marks Bangladesh’s first T20I series win over Pakistan in four attempts. Notably, Pakistan had whitewashed Bangladesh 3-0 in Lahore last month.
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