2nd T20I: Bangladesh seal series with eight-run win over Pakistan

• Bangladesh clinch first-ever T20I series win over Pakistan.
• Shoriful leads Bangladesh's bowling with 3 wickets for 17 runs.
• Pakistan, Bangladesh to play third and final T20I on Thursday.

Bangladesh clinched the three-match T20I series against Pakistan with a game to spare after securing a hard-fought eight-run victory in the second match at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka, on Tuesday.

Wicketkeeper batter Jaker Ali’s gutsy half-century, followed by a ruthless bowling effort, led Bangladesh to a historic victory over Pakistan in the second T20I match.

The victory helped Bangladesh to register their first-ever series triumph over Pakistan in T20Is.

Set to chase a modest 134-run target, Pakistan’s batting unit unfolded on 126 on the second delivery of the final over.

The Green Shirts had an agonising start to their innings as their opener Saim Ayub (one) got run out in the first over with just four runs on the board.

His dismissal was followed by a scathing middle-order collapse, which saw Pakistan lose four more wickets in quick succession and thus be reduced to 15/5 in 4.4 overs.

Following the debacle, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha (nine) and all-rounder Khushdil Shah put together a cautious 15-run partnership for the sixth wicket, which culminated in the 10th over with the former’s dismissal.

Khushdil then shared a 17-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Faheem Ashraf until eventually falling victim to Mahedi Hasan in the 12th over after scoring 13 off 18 deliveries.

His dismissal had further reduced Pakistan to 47/7 in 11.5 overs, with 87 runs further required off 49 deliveries.

Faheem was then joined by Abbas Afridi in the middle, and the duo battled hard to prevent Pakistan from succumbing to their lowest total in T20Is by knitting a 41-run partnership.

The duo had brought Pakistan in the hunt as the equation had come down to 46 runs required off 24 deliveries with three wickets in hand.

But Shoriful Islam bamboozled Abbas on the first delivery of his final over to break the crucial stand. Abbas scored 19 off 13 deliveries with the help of two fours and a six.

Faheem was then involved in another crucial partnership for Pakistan when he added 33 runs for the ninth wicket with Daniyal Ahmed until eventually falling victim to Rishad Hossain on the last delivery of the penultimate over.

He remained the top-scorer for Pakistan with 51 off 32 deliveries, laced with four fours and as many sixes.

Daniyal kept Pakistan’s hopes alive by hitting Mustafizur Rahman for a boundary on the first delivery of the final over, reducing the required equation to nine off five.

But Rahman deceived Daniyal with a slower delivery, who holed it straight to deep midwicket. He made an important contribution with an 11-ball 17, featuring three fours.

Shoriful Islam was the standout bowler for Bangladesh, taking three wickets for 17 runs in his four overs, followed by Mahedi Hasan and Tanzim Hasan Sakib with two each, while Rishad Hossain and Rahman made one scalp apiece.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha’s decision to bowl first bore fruit as the touring side’s pace-laden bowling attack put them in early command.

Fast-bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf gave the Green Shirts their first breakthrough in the second over by getting opener Mohammad Naim (three) caught behind with just five runs on the board.

Following the early stutter, skipper Litton Das (eight) joined Parvez Hossain Emon in the middle for a brief 20-run partnership, which culminated with the former’s dismissal in the fifth over.

The home side then lost two more wickets in quick succession and consequently slipped to 28/4 in 5.5 overs.

Following the slump, all-rounder Mahedi Hasan and wicketkeeper batter Jaker Ali launched a recovery by putting together an anchoring 53-run partnership.

The budding partnership was eventually shattered by left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz in the 14th over as he dismissed Hasan, who scored 33 off 25 deliveries, laced with two fours and as many sixes.

Ali, on the other hand, stood his ground firm and knitted one-sided partnerships with tail, to bolster Bangladesh’s total with a gritty half-century.

The wicketkeeper batter remained the top-scorer for the hosts with a 48-ball 55, studded with one four and five sixes.

Debutant Ahmed Daniyal, Abbas Afridi and Salman Mirza jointly led Pakistan’s bowling charge with two wickets each, while Nawaz and Faheem chipped in with one scalp apiece.

For the unversed, Bangladesh led the ongoing three-match series against Pakistan 1-0, courtesy of their thumping seven-wicket victory in the series opener.

Pakistan XI: Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris (WK), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha(C), Mohammad Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Abbas Afridi, Salman Mirza, Ahmed Daniyal

Bangladesh XI: Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan, Litton Das (C/WK), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman