Bangladesh started their Super-10 stage World Twenty20 campaign with a 55-run defeat against Pakistan in their Group-2 opener at iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Wednesday. Replying massive 201, Bangladesh finished the innings at 146 for 6 in 20 overs including all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan’s rediscovering his batting form with an unbeaten half century. Shakib top-scored 50 included five boundaries and one six off 40 balls. Skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza gave company to Shakib till the end scoring unbeaten 15 off 9 balls involving two boundaries and one six. Mohammad Mithun Ali was the 6th one, dismally out at 117/6 in 17.4 overs, caught by Mohammad Amir off Mohammad Irfan bowling. Bangladesh Test skipper Mushfiqur Rahim played an 18 runs innings off 21 balls with three boundaries and was caught by Sarfraz Ahmed off Mohammad Amir bowling at 110/5 in 16.4 overs. Mahmudullah was dismissed at 71/4 in 10.2 overs, caught by Sharjeel Khan off Imad Wasim’s bowling. Opener Tamim Iqbal scored 24 off 20 balls including two sixes. Tamim was caught by Imad Wasim off a Shahid Afridi’s delivery at 58/3 in 8 overs. Sabbir Rahman was bowled out by Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi scoring 25 off 19 balls including five boundaries, leaving team total at 44/2 in 5.5 overs. Bangladesh faced early jolt losing Soumya Sarakar at 1/1 in the very 3rd delivery of the innings. Soumya was bowled out for a duck off a Mohammad Amir delivery. Conceding 27 runs in their four-over deliveries each, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Amir grabbed two wickets each. Imad Wasim and Mohammad Irfan took one wicket each for 13 and 30 runs in two and four overs. Earlier, Pakistan posted a mammoth 201 for 5 in 20 overs with an innings-display involving 22 boundaries and eight sixes in 20 overs. Two half centuries by Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad helped Pakistan for piling up the mammoth figure. Hafeez fired seven boundaries and two sixes on the way to top-scoring 64 off 42 balls. Soumya Sarkar displayed an aesthetic catch to send Hafeez back at 163 for 3 in 16.4 overs. Arafat Sunny delivered to Hafeez who hit the ball flatly headed towards for a six. Soumya rushed into the frame, running to his left, extended to his full height and took it with both hands, but there’s more momentum took him over the boundary, he pop the ball up as high as he can, moved back inside the boundary line and ended up having to reach full length to reclaim the catch. Besides his top-scoring, Hafeez paired with Shehzad in the 2nd wicket stand for a 95-run in 11.2 overs to carry the team total to 121/2 in 13.5 overs, before Shehzad was out for 52 off 39 balls including eight boundaries. Sabbir Rahman departed the 2nd pair dismissing Shehzad, caught by Mahmudullah Riyad. Skipper Shahid Afridi fell short of single run for another half century as he was caught by Mahmudullah off Taskin Ahmed delivery after hammering four boundaries and four sixes for 49 off 19 balls. Afridi was out at 198/5 in 19.4 overs. Shoaib Malik added unbeaten 15 off 9 balls including two boundaries in the end. Arafat Sunny made the first breakthrough for the Tigers bowling out opener to Sharjeel Khan in his 3rd delivery of the first over spell. Sharjeel was out for 18 off 10 balls, including one boundary and two sixes, leaving team total at 26/1 in 2.3 overs. Pacer Al Amin Hossain conceded 17 runs in his first and the innings’ 2nd over. Pakistan opener Sharjeel Khan collected 15 runs off 5 balls in the 2 overs including one boundary and two sixes. Pakistan managed 7 runs in the innings very first over off Taskin who opened the bowling account for Bangladesh. Sharjeel Khan and Ahmed Shehzad opened the bat for Pakistan after winning the toss. Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny took two wickets each for 32 and 34 runs in their four-over deliveries apiece. Sabbir Rahman took one wicket for 11 runs in two overs. Man of the match: Shahid Afridi (Pakistan skipper). — Dhaka, Mar 16 (UNB)
