19.2 -
Taskin Ahmed to Shoaib Malik, FOUR, that's not a bad ball I tell you. Around six inches short of the yorker length, but Malik winds up and comes down like a tempest on the ball to smash it straight of long-on
19.1 -
Taskin Ahmed to Shoaib Malik, FOUR, full toss and it's been sliced past backward point. For once, Taskin misses out and the margin of error is so little. Malik goes hard at it and beats the diving sweeper cover
18.2 -
Shakib to Afridi, FOUR, that's been pulverized through extra-cover. Such a powerful back foot drive. Made room to an arm-ball which kept following him and then scorched it hard
16.5 -
A Sunny to Afridi, FOUR, moves to leg, picks the full toss and slices it. Splits short third man and backward point to perfection. Sunny had fired it in and Afridi used all the pace
16.3 -
A Sunny to Hafeez, FOUR, this is brilliant improvisation. Sees the bowler dart one into his pads after he came dancing down, then swats it behind square with a clean swing. That flew off the middle
15.4 -
Al-Amin to Hafeez, FOUR, Pakistan are in full throttle now and Bangledesh just don't know what to do. Another attempted yorker goes wrong. It's a full toss on off. Hafeez feigns to off, then moves to leg to create room and laces the drive wide of long-off
15.3 -
Al-Amin to Hafeez, FOUR, Hafeez is already into position for a scoop even as Al-Amin is in his delivery stride, tries to take the pace off the ball but ends up botching it up. The slower ball never lands. Hafeez simply paddles it fine for an easy four
14.4 -
Mortaza to Afridi, FOUR, wow. Now he's plonked his front leg across, bent his knees and lapped it fine. Mortaza's heart just went racing
14.3 -
Mortaza to Afridi, FOUR, short on the hips, Afridi pivots on the back leg while swivelling across and blasts the pull behind square. Here we go..
12.4 -
Mortaza to Hafeez, FOUR, length ball and it's been heaved wide of long-on. That's all it was. He looks to be the man who will go hell for leather now. Didn't time it well but placed it nicely
12.1 -
Mortaza to Ahmed Shehzad, FOUR, Mortaza is very lucky to get away with five wides. Don't think Shehzad got anything on that. A shocking short ball down leg, Shehzad goes hard on the pull but fails to connect due to the lack of bounce and Rahim fails to gather as well. Only gets some of his gloves and deflects it to the fence
11.2 -
Al-Amin to Ahmed Shehzad, FOUR, slower short ball, sits up to be hit as all the pace is sucked out and Shehzad hammers the pull through square leg after fetching the ball from around waist height
10.4 -
Shakib to Hafeez, FOUR, there's the footwork which is so brilliant. Almost jumps back in the crease seeing the length trifle short, allows him the time and room to put it anywhere. Spanks the pull wide of long-on
9.1 -
S Rahman to Ahmed Shehzad, FOUR, Rahman introduces himself with a stinker. Short on middle and leg, Shehzad remains composed though. Goes deep in the crease and whips it wide of long-on. Good orthodox cricket
8.0 -
Mortaza to Ahmed Shehzad, FOUR, my word! That's replete with timing and all the elegance in the world. Shortish just outside off, Shehzad sees that there isn't much room to cut. So he waits for the ball and dabs it behind backward point. Speeds off the outfield
7.3 -
Mortaza to Ahmed Shehzad, FOUR, it's actually not all that short. Even if it is, the ball doesn't get up that much and the odds are stacked up against Shehzad's attempted pull. He swivels across and swings it over and behind square leg. Got enough bat on it and beats the man chasing at fine leg
5.5 -
Shakib to Hafeez, FOUR, he's met the pitch of this one and blazed it straight of mid-off. Lovely use of the feet again and absolutely drilled it hard
5.3 -
Shakib to Hafeez, FOUR, he's done in by the length but goes through with the chip backing himself to clear mid-off which was up in the ring. Ventured out of the crease, Shakib tossed it slower while holding it back. The lack of turn allowed Hafeez to go through
4.3 -
A Sunny to Ahmed Shehzad, FOUR, the shots keep coming from Pakistan. This one is beautifully executed. Skipped out of the crease, moved away from the line of the ball as it drifted in towards the stumps, got to the pitch and lofted it inside-out over extra-cover. Pinpoint precision
3.1 -
Taskin Ahmed to Ahmed Shehzad, FOUR, hops back and tucks it from middle stump and geez .. look at that running away. Once it's on the practice pitches at mid-wicket, no stopping it. Lightning quick outfield like always
2.0 -
Al-Amin to Sharjeel Khan, FOUR, Sharjeel is hurtling now! Looks like he's decided that anything up to him has to go. Sees the length, swings it over mid-off with an exaggerated batswing. Think he ended up slicing it but again the connection is good enough. Problems for Bangladesh..
0.4 -
Taskin Ahmed to Ahmed Shehzad, FOUR, that's been creamed through the covers. Plants his front leg across to a length ball and drives it on the up. A hint of wobble in the air but still races away off the middle
19.0 -
Shakib to Afridi, SIX, and he makes most of it. Another six which flew right off the bottom of the bat. Shakib cleverly fires it wider outside off to get it outside Afridi's zone. He goes down on one knee, reaches out with a slog-sweep and swings hard. His weapon does the rest
17.1 -
Taskin Ahmed to Afridi, SIX, Afridi is not playing cricket now. He is playing Mortal Kombat. Short ball just outside off, makes room and forehands it over extra-cover. Flat-batted it hard and cleared the ropes just about
16.0 -
Al-Amin to Afridi, SIX, Afridi is in the driving range. That's how you swing a golf club. Wooh! Picks the slower fuller ball on middle, clears the front leg and kills it over long-on. Soars way back into the stands
14.5 -
Mortaza to Afridi, no ball, SIX, Mortaza panics, looks for the yorker and overcooks it miserably to dish out a very high full toss. What's worse? Afridi has swung it over the deep backward square leg fence. Free-hit to follow
7.0 -
A Sunny to Hafeez, SIX, tossed up, Hafeez is down the track and .. poof! It's disappeared over long-on. This has been a masterclass from Hafeez so far in playing spin. Now and again he's using his feet to put them off their lengths. This time he moved towards leg as well to create enough room so that his batswing isn't hindered
2.5 -
A Sunny to Hafeez, SIX, one step, two steps, and bang! Sunny didn't see this coming. Tosses it up nicely with some indrift towards the stumps, Hafeez is nimble-footed to get to the pitch, not a lot of turn and he lofts it handsomely over long-on. Second ball he's faced. Pakistan are going to go here..
1.3 -
Al-Amin to Sharjeel Khan, SIX, how's that gone for six? Came right off the bottom of the bat. These are short straight boundaries at Eden though. Similar fullish ball outside off, only that it's a lot closer to off, in Sharjeel's swinging arc and he goes through the line. Doesn't time it well but enough wood on bats these days
1.1 -
Al-Amin to Sharjeel Khan, SIX, whips the pull into a jam-packed backward square leg stand to send the people roaring. Short ball, sits up to be hit on leg stump, Sharjeel swivels inside the line and pulls it sweetly. All the way
19.4 -
Taskin Ahmed to Afridi, out Caught by Mahmudullah!! Afridi falls one short of a whirlwind fifty, could have been the fastest for Pakistan. But instead he flogs a fullish off-cutter straight to deep mid-wicket. Had to pick it from well outside off and maybe that's why he couldn't time it nicely. But what a knock! He's catapulted Pakistan towards a big big score. Afridi c Mahmudullah b Taskin Ahmed 49(19) [4s-4 6s-4]
17.5 -
Taskin Ahmed to U Akmal, out Caught by Shakib!! Umar dies for the cause. Just couldn't get the length he wanted to lift it over the infield. Ends up spooning it straight to the fielder at mid-off. Bangladesh pulling things back slightly and once again it's through Taskin. I remember him being brilliant at the death in those qualifiers. And now here too. U Akmal c Shakib b Taskin Ahmed 0(2)
16.4 -
A Sunny to Hafeez, out Caught by Soumya Sarkar!! Soumya Sarkar has pulled off a catch which is becoming customary in these tournaments. Hafeez mistimes the slog, but it still looked like going over the ropes at deep mid-wicket. Sarkar moves across a yard or so inside the boundary line, times the leap well to his left and takes it over his left shoulder while in the air. Knows that the momentum will take him over the ropes so he tosses the ball in the air. Then jumps inside to catch the ball. Excellent composure. Hafeez c Soumya Sarkar b A Sunny 64(42) [4s-7 6s-2]
13.5 -
S Rahman to Ahmed Shehzad, out Caught by Mahmudullah!! An utter long-hop produces the breakthrough. Shehzad sees the length, hops back in the crease trying to helicopter whip it over deep mid-wicket. Doesn't hit it well enough and holes out. Straight to the fielder who didn't need to do much at all. Nevertheless, a good knock from the opener. And Afridi has promoted himself. Ahmed Shehzad c Mahmudullah b S Rahman 52(39) [4s-8]
2.3 -
A Sunny to Sharjeel Khan, out Bowled!! Sharjeel's rashness gets the better of him. This one is beautifully pulled back by Sunny. Sees the batsman skip out of the crease, pushes it quicker while shortening the length on middle and off, the ball skids on past Sharjeel's attempted dab and just about brushes the off-stump. Sharjeel Khan b A Sunny 18(10) [4s-1 6s-2]
14.2 -
Mortaza to Hafeez, 1 run, well bowled. Sees him coming and follows him while shortening his length. Hafeez nudges it off a thick inside edge wide of the bowler and scampers across and makes it despite a direct-hit from Mortaza. Fifty for him too. This innings has been a joy to behold
12.2 -
Mortaza to Ahmed Shehzad, 1 run, fifty for Shehzad! Riding on a comeback trail, what a start it has been. First match of the tournament and sets it up nicely from here. Tucks a short of length delivery behind square and then raises his bat
4.1 -
A Sunny to Hafeez, 1 run, nudged to short fine leg and the chaotic running continues. This time a direct-hit would have seen the end of Shehzad despite a dive. Crazy