Kolkata: Pakistan returned to winning ways as they trounced a listless Bangladesh by seven wickets in a lop-sided league stage game of the ICC Cricket World Cup here on Tuesday.
Pakistan rode on an aggressive 81 off 74 balls by opener Fakhar Zaman and stoke-filed 68 off 69 balls by Abdullah Shafique. The duo conjured a staggering 128 runs for the opening wicket to take the game away from Shakib Al Hasan-led Bangladesh.
While Shafique's knock was laced with 9 boundaries and two maximums, Zaman hammered three boundaries and seven sixes as he displayed his six-hitting prowess. Zaman missed a deserving hundred but he had pummelled an ordinary Bangladesh attack to submission. Mohammed Rizwan (26 not out) and Iftikhar Ahmed (17 not out) ensured that there were no further hiccups and romped the side home in just 32.3 overs.
After opting to bat at the iconic Eden Gardens, Shakib Al Hasan's team lost their first wicket in the form of Tanzid Hasan in the first over with no runs on the board. They went down to 23-3 by the sixth over losing Najmul Hasan Shanto (4) and Mushfiqur Rahim (5) cheaply. However, a 99-run stand between Mahmudullah and Litton Das for the fourth wicket put Bangladesh in a respectable position after early jolts. Litton Das, opening the innings, scored 45 off 64 deliveries laced with six hits to the advertisement hoardings.
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Mahmudullah hit a valiant 56 with skipper Shakib Al Hasan coming in to rescue the Bangladesh side. Mahmuddualh's 56 came off 70 balls with the help of six fours and one six. Shakib's 43 took 64 deliveries which included four hits to the boundaries.
Bangladesh couldn't have crossed the 200-run mark had Mehudy Hasan Mirza not contributed a 30-ball 25 with one boundary and a maximum. The rest of the Bangladesh batters cut a sorry figure to make a strong claim for the Champions Trophy berth at the Eden on Tuesday.
For a change, Pakistani bowlers were on target from the inception. Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Wasim Junior were the pick of the bowlers claiming three wickets apiece. Afridi conceded 23 runs in his 9 overs for his three wickets while Wasim gave away 31 in his 8.1 overs. Haris Rauf scalped two while Iftikhar Ahmed and Usama Mir bagged one wicket each.
Brief scores: Bangladesh 204 all out in 45.1 overs Mahmudullah 56, Litton Das 44, Shakib Al Hasan 43; Shaheen Afridi 3/23, Mohammad Wasim Jr 3/31, Haris Rauf 2/36) vs Pakistan 205/3 in 32.3 overs (Fakhar Zaman 81, Abdullah Shafique 68; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 60/3)
