Match 6, Christchurch, October 13, 2022, 07:30 AM
Bangladesh
173/6(20.0ov)
Pakistan
177/3(19.5ov)
Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets
That's it from this game. The top two teams, New Zealand and Pakistan will play the final now. The final game of the series will be on 14th October. The match will start at 7.30 am IST (2 am GMT). Do join us for the build up. Cheers!
Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan says he is happy as his team is playing well. Adds they were not up to the mark with the ball. Shares he is happy with the batting performance. Reckons he is happy the middle order performed today. Tells they are improving on the field and will do better in the next game.
Shakib Al Hasan, the skipper of Bangladesh says it was a difficult match but they played their best cricket today. Adds they could have scored more. Shares they got what they wanted from the series and hopes to do well in the World Cup. Reckons he would have taken this score but the bowlers could have bowled a bit better. Says they are clear with the team that will lead to the World Cup. On his form, says it is his job to score runs and feels he could bowl a bit more better.
Mohammad Rizwan wins the Player of the Match award. He starts by crediting the Bangladeshi bowlers and says they bowled well. Adds their target was to keep the wickets in hand and take the game deep. Credits Nawaz's knock and says it was a momentum changing knock. Tells it is a team game and they are happy with the win. Shares that he loves to play with Azam and they do few calculations before going for the chase. Reckons they are looking forward to the final game.
...Time for presentation...
Bangladesh bowlers had enough runs to defend and they bowled well. Their fielding was a bit sloppy. Mohammad Saifuddin dropped Mohammad Rizwan. They didn't create pressure with dot balls and Pakistan kept scoring runs freely. Their strike bowlers were a bit expensive but a much better performance from Bangladesh than we saw earlier in the series. With the bat, it was Litton Das and Shakib Al Hasan who with their fifties helped get them past 170. Bangladesh scored just three runs in the last over and that proved to be the difference as they were short of 10-15 more runs.
Pakistan took the game till the end but they had full control over the chase. Their tactics worked brilliantly here. The openers gave a good start. Both, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan scored a fifty. Azam fell and Haider Ali followed him. At that point, Pakistan felt a bit of tension but Mohammad Nawaz came in and played a gem of an innings to take the game away from Bangladesh. Mohammad Rizwan played the anchor role yet again and played yet another fine knock for his team.
A hard-fought win in the end for Pakistan and they are back to winning ways in this series. For Bangladesh, they end the series without a single victory. A concerning factor as they head to the World Cup.
In over# 20
4
2
2
2
1
Mohammad Saifuddin 53/0(3.5)
19.5
4
FOUR! What an innings from Nawaz! Length and outside off. Nawaz cuts it through point for four. Pakistan win by 7 wickets.
19.4
2
Two more and the scores are leveled! Short of a length and on middle, pulled to deep square leg for a couple of runs.
19.3
2
Two more! 3 in 3 now! A full toss on middle. Nawaz lofts it over mid off and takes another two.
19.2
2
TWO RUNS! 5 from 4 balls! Short and on middle. Nawaz hits it in the air and to the vacant mid on region. The batters take two runs.
19.1
1
Short and on middle. Ali looks to pull but mistimes and it rolls towards point. A quick single taken. The set batter is on the strike.
Who will bowl the last over? It is Mohammad Saifuddin.
In over# 19
1
0W
1wd
0
0
2
2
Soumya Sarkar 6/1(1)
18.6
1
A slower length ball, outside off, Ali slaps it to deep point for one. 8 runs needed from the last over.
18.5
W
OUT! TAKEN! Is there a twist in the tale? Sarkar bowls his first over and gets the big wicket of Rizwan! Was that needed though from Rizwan who was batting so well? Sarkar again keeps it wide of off, on the fuller side. Rizwan tries to go downtown but slices it to deep cover where Najmul Hossain Shanto takes an easy catch.
18.5
1wd
Wide! This is way outside off. Rizwan comes down the track and leaves it alone.
18.4
.
A widish yorker again, fuller side. Rizwan opens the face of the bat as he looks to work to third man but misses. An appeal follows for caught behind.