Clinical Pakistan clinch series with allround performance

Fifties from Javeria Khan and Bismah Maroof's helped Pakistan trump Bangladesh by 15 runs in the second T20I at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday (October 28). The victory meant Pakistan have clinched the three-match series, 2-0, with one game to spare.

The victory was set up by Sadia Iqbal, the left-arm spinner, who picked up three wickets giving away just 19 runs to derail Bangladesh's chase. In only her second international match, she bowled with great control and skill, forcing the batters to create the pace and hit over the top.

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bowl first after giving the hosts a scare in the first T20I. Their decision to field though did not go as per plan with Sidra Amen and Javeria Khan smashing 35 runs in under five overs for the opening wicket.

The visitors, however, came back into the match by removing Ameen for 19. Lata Mondal drew the first blood.

The wicket of Ameen brought Maroof, the skipper, to the crease. Maroof and Javeria rotated the strike well and picked up the odd boundaries on offer. The latter played the role of aggressor, taking on the spin duo of Khadija Tul Kubra and Rumana Ahmed.

Bangladesh's spinners, who controlled the middle overs so well in the first game, could not replicate the same in the second. Tul Kubra, Rumana and Salma Khatun went for plenty of runs in the middle phase.

Javeria brought up her sixth T20I half-century in just 39 balls in the 14th over. Maroof, meanwhile, was happy to play second fiddle.

 

Javeria Khan's half-century laid the foundation for Pakistan. © PCB

 

The skipper started to blossom as the innings progressed and was particularly harsh on her opposite number, taking 12 runs off Khatun's two overs. The second-wicket partnership reached 95 runs and Bangladesh were chasing leather.

Just when Javeria was looking to step on the accelerator she was dismissed by Jahanara Alam for 52 - a knock that included five fours and two sixes.

Maroof brought up her fifty in 43 balls with a six over mid-wicket in the 18th over - a shot that signaled her desire to take on the bowlers. The skipper's late flourish meant Pakistan finished strongly on 167 for three - their third-highest score in T20Is.

Maroof was unconquered on a career-best 50-ball 70, including nine fours and a six.

For Bangladesh, Alam was again the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2-27 in four overs.

Chasing 168 Bangladesh needed a solid start to put some pressure on the Pakistan bowlers. However, they faltered early, losing both openers - Ayasha Rahman and Shamima Sultana - within the first five overs.

As if that weren't enough, Bangladesh were handed an even heavier blow when Rumana Ahmed - their hero from the last game - was run out for a duck when she attempted to run off a misfield from Aliya Riaz. At that point, the visitors were staring down the barrel at 25 for 3 in 5.3 overs.

Sanjida Islam and Nigar Sultana then began to rebuild the innings. While the former found her rhythm quickly, picking the gaps with ease, the latter was struggling to hit the ball off the square.

Nigar broke the shackles when she came down to the track to Aliya Riaz and lofted the ball over sweeper cover for a glorious six. Islam then went on to collect successive boundaries off Riaz to close out the over having taken 13 runs off it.

 

In only her second T20I, Sadia Iqbal picked up three wickets. © PCB

 

The pair batted sensibly for their 57-run stand, bring the required rate down and giving Bangladesh real hope. However, Islam's wicket in the 12th over, meant Pakistan found a way back into the game.

Fittingly, it was Sadia who got the breakthrough. Islam, was caught at deep square leg trying to sweep a shorter, quicker delivery from the left-arm spinner, five short of a well deserved half-century.

Sadia struck again the 14th over to send Sultana back for 21. It was a wicket that pretty much broke the back of the chase - both set batters back in the pavilion. Sadia picked up another wicket in her final over, removing the dangerous Khatun for a duck - smartly stumped down the leg side by Sidra Nawaz.

Fargana Hoque (30), Mondal (17*) and Alam (18*) fought valiantly at the back end of the innings to keep Bangladesh in the hunt, but in the end, it was too much for the lower order. They finished on 152 for 7 - their highest even T20I total.

 

Brief Scores: Pakistan 167/3 in 20 overs (Bismah Maroof 70*, Javeria Khan 52; Jahanara Alam 2-27) beat Bangladesh 152/7 in 20 overs (Sanjida Islam 45, Fargana Hoque 30; Sadia Iqbal 3-19) by 15 runs. PoM: Bismah Maroof.