Bangladesh 115 for 2 (Tanzid 67*) beat Pakistan 114 (Faheem 37, Farhan 27, Rana 5-24, Mehidy 3-29)
It was all due to Rana, who had a huge influence in the game in his spell of seven overs. He picked up a wicket in each of his first five overs, as Pakistan sunk rapidly against Rana’s pace and bounce, reminiscent of the last time they came across the fast bowler. Rana had taken four wickets in the Rawalpindi Test in 2024.
In Mirpur, Pakistan had played four debutants, their most since 2008 in ODIs. Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat, among those newbies, added 41 runs for the opening stand before Rana removed Farhan in the tenth over. Farhan made 27 off 38 balls, before hitting a length ball to Afif Hossain at point.
Shamyl Hussain was the next to go, top-edging a Rana bouncer which Litton Das pouched safely. Shamyl was dropped on two at long-off in the previous over, but couldn’t make the chance count. When Sadaqat fell to yet another short ball, Pakistan slipped from 41 for 0 to 55 for three in the 14th over.
There was some hope when the experienced pair Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha got together. Rizwan even struck Rana for a superb boundary, before Rana sucked him into a drive and had him caught behind. Salman’s fall next was emblematic of Pakistan’s dismissals on the day – fending a short ball to short leg, where Tanzid completed a juggling catch.
Rana kept pounding in with thunderbolts for two more overs, creating couple of chances, and also bowling a 148.6kph delivery at Faheem Ashraf.
Captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz then took three wickets, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman took one each, as Pakistan were shot out in the 31st over. Faheem top scored with 37, adding 32 runs for the tenth wicket with Abrar Ahmed.
Shaheen Shah Afridi and Faheem began Pakistan’s defence in a wayward manner, conceding five wides in the first two overs before the former dismissed Saif Hassan. Despite the early wicket, Tanzid and Shanto went after the Pakistan bowling, with both the left-handers finding boundaries regularly. Tanzid hit Faheem for two fours in the second over, before Shanto opened his account off his second ball with a crashing drive off Afridi.
Tanzid then struck Mohammad Wasim for a six and four in the sixth over, followed by Shanto hammering Afridi for three fours in the seventh over. Tanzid continued the big-hitting in the next over, going after Abrar Ahmed for two sixes, before Shanto got an edged boundary off Afridi.
Bangladesh were 81 for one after ten overs, their second highest score after the first powerplay in ODIs against Pakistan.
Tanzid struck two more sixes off Abrar and Agha, while reaching his fifty off 32 balls. Shanto then edged Wasim to the wicketkeeper, but that wicket was a mere consolation for Pakistan, who had been thorougly outplayed.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
