New Delhi: In a disappointing turn of events at the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore, Bangladesh faced a formidable defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the inaugural Super Fours match of the Asia Cup 2023. Shakib Al Hasan's team, after winning the toss, failed to capitalize on a benign pitch, resulting in a costly 7-wicket loss that marked a disheartening initiation into the Super Four stage.
Bangladesh's fortunes took a nosedive right from the outset when they lost Mehidy Hasan Miraz, fresh off a dazzling century against Afghanistan, without scoring a run in the second over. The Pakistani pacers capitalized on this early setback, capturing three more wickets with the new ball. As a result, Bangladesh found themselves at a precarious 4 for 47 after just 9.1 overs.
Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, two of Bangladesh's most seasoned campaigners, came together to craft a resilient 100-run partnership for the fifth wicket, breathing life back into their innings. However, Shakib's dismissal in the 30th over triggered a dramatic collapse, with Bangladesh losing their final four wickets in a mere nine balls, concluding their innings at a subpar total of 193 in 38.4 overs.
Speaking about the batting debacle, Shakib Al Hasan reflected, "We lost early wickets right at the start, and our shot selection left much to be desired. On a pitch like this, losing four wickets in the opening ten overs is unacceptable, but it happened. While our partnership was commendable, I believed we needed to extend our innings by another seven or eight overs. It was an extremely disappointing batting display on a surface like this, but we must shift our focus to the next match."
He continued, "Pakistan is the top-ranked team for a reason. They possess three world-class bowlers who make their job easier. While our bowling department has shown promise, our batting has been inconsistent. We need to find greater consistency."
Pakistan, during their 194-run chase, never seemed troubled. Half-centuries from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Rizwan paved the way for Pakistan to comfortably surpass the target in 39.3 overs.
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