Asia Cup: Rauf, Shaheen star as Pakistan edge Bangladesh by 11 runs, set up title clash with India

Dubai: Pakistan’s fast bowling duo of Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed three wickets each as the side clawed their way back from the brink to seal a dramatic 11-run win over Bangladesh in a tense Super Fours clash of the Men’s T20 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Thursday and booked a blockbuster title clash against arch-rivals India.

It’s also the first time in 17 editions of the Asia Cup that India and Pakistan will square off in a title clash. Shaheen led the charge by rattling Bangladesh’s top order, who also contributed to their own downfall with poor shot selection and miscommunication.

Shamim Hossain offered brief resistance, but his dismissal to Shaheen triggered a collapse, as Bangladesh ended up at 124/9 in 20 overs. While Shaheen took 3-17, Rauf ended up with 3-33.

Previously, on a used pitch, fast bowler Taskin Ahmed led a disciplined bowling effort while ending up with figures of 3-28 as Pakistan were restricted to 135/8.

On a surface offering grip and turn, Bangladesh’s bowlers struck at regular intervals, with Taskin well-supported by Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, and Mahedi Hasan also taking key wickets.

Pakistan failed to have any sort of momentum in their innings and could go only past the 130-run mark, thanks to cameos of 31 and 25 from Mohammad Haris and Mohammad Nawaz, respectively. Though the advantage was with Bangladesh at the halfway mark, a combination of insipid batting from them and spirited bowling by Pakistan meant they couldn’t prevent an India-Pakistan clash to decide the winners of the eight-team competition.

Brief scores:

Pakistan 135/8 in 20 overs (Mohammad Haris 31, Mohammad Nawaz 25; Taskin Ahmed 3-28, Rishad Hossain 2-18) beat Bangladesh 124/9 in 20 overs (Shamim Hossain 30, Saif Hassan 18; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-17, Haris Rauf 3-33) by 11 runs

–IANS