CRICKET
Jaker Ali delivered an impressive half-century as Bangladesh secured a historic T20 series victory over Pakistan, marking the first time the team has achieved this milestone.
On Tuesday, Bangladesh achieved a historic milestone by securing their inaugural T20I series victory over Pakistan, winning the second match in Mirpur, Dhaka, by a narrow margin of eight runs. After being invited to bat first, Bangladesh set a target of 134 runs for Pakistan. The home team managed to score 133 runs in their 20 overs, with Jaker Ali playing a pivotal role by scoring 55 runs off 48 balls, which included five sixes. This marked his third half-century in T20I cricket.
Bangladesh faced early challenges, losing four wickets for just 28 runs by the sixth over. However, a vital partnership of 53 runs between Jaker and Mahedi Hasan helped to stabilize the innings, with Mahedi contributing 33 runs from 25 balls, featuring two sixes and two boundaries.
Salman Mirza, Ahmed Daniyal, and Abbas Afridi each took two wickets. In response, Pakistan struggled significantly, losing wickets consistently and finding themselves at 15 for 5. Shoriful Islam from Bangladesh delivered an outstanding performance, achieving his best T20I figures of 3 for 17 on the slow pitch of Mirpur, causing chaos in Pakistan's batting lineup.
Despite this, Faheem Ashraf's commendable innings of 51 runs from 32 balls provided some respite for Pakistan. However, his dismissal by spinner Rishad Hossain in the 19th over dashed Pakistan's hopes of a comeback. Ashraf’s exit also ended his 41-run partnership with Abbas Afridi, who managed to score 19 runs.
This victory allowed Bangladesh to clinch the series 2-0, with one match remaining, scheduled to take place in Dhaka on Thursday. This win marked Bangladesh's first T20I series triumph against Pakistan in four attempts.