Pakistan beat Bangladesh by eight wickets to book the final spot in the Super Eight stages of ICC T20 World Cup on Tuesday at Pallekele.
The Hindu writes that sometimes best is good enough. Bangladesh put up their best ever T20 international, but could not stop Pakistan from chasing down the imposing 176 runs target.
Pakistan requiring only 139 to advance in to the next score reached the target comfortably and it also now is their highest score in a World T20 match.
Riding on the fastest half century of this year’s tournament by Imran Nazir in this edition Pakistan centered home with seven balls to spare. Nazir (72, 36b, 9x4, 3x6), who was dropped by Abul Hasan when just on 1, went after all the bowlers and connected more often than not. Nazir reached his half century in 25 balls.
Captain Hafeez, scoring at a run-a-ball, played the junior partner’s role and was content giving the strike to Nazir.
Both departed in quick succession but by then Pakistan needed only 13 runs to qualify. The man-of-the-match from the last game, Nasir Jamshed, lifted seamer Abul Hasan onto the stands to send Pakistan to the Super Eights stage. He put on a 52-run partnership with Kamran Akmal to overhaul the Bangladesh score.
Meanwhile a report in The Times of India says that, in the crucial encounter, Bangladesh needed to win by a margin of at least 36 runs, but their bowlers came a cropper in the face of Nazir's sustained onslaught.
Nazir’s belligerent knock left the Bangladeshis shell-shocked, as they had given themselves a chance by posting a competitive total.
Nazir was ably supported by Hafeez (45 off 47 balls) as they produced the tournament's highest partnership for any wicket.
The Pakistan show meant that Shakib Al Hasan's brilliant 54-ball 84 went in vain.
Electing to bat, Bangladesh rode on Shakib's heroics and some fine contributions from opener Tamim Iqbal (24) and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (25) to post their highest score against Pakistan in T20 internationals. In the crucial encounter, Bangladesh needed to win by a margin of at least 36 runs, but their bowlers came a cropper in the face of Nazir's sustained onslaught.
During his belligerent knock, Nazir struck three sixes and nine fours that left the Bangladeshis shell-shocked, as they had given themselves a chance by posting a competitive total.
The Pakistan show meant that Shakib Al Hasan's brilliant 54-ball 84 went in vain.
Electing to bat, Bangladesh rode on Shakib's knock and some fine contributions from opener Tamim Iqbal (24) and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (25) to post their highest score against Pakistan in T20 internationals.
But their joy was short-lived as Pakistan's chase got off to a flying start with Nazir and Hafeez clobbering the Bangladesh bowlers all around the park.