Pakistan beats Bangladesh by 11 runs to set up Asia Cup final against archrival India

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Pacers Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf shared six wickets as Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 11 runs Thursday to set up an Asia Cup final against archrival India.

Chasing 136, Bangladesh was restricted to 124-9 as Afridi took 3-17 while Rauf took 3-33, both in four overs. Pakistan had scored 135-8 with Mohammad Haris top-scoring with 31 off 23 balls.

The low-scoring Super Four encounter was essentially a winner-takes all game with a place in the final at stake. Pakistan will now take on India for the third time in this tournament, having played in both the group stage and the Super Four. India won both matches, which were marred by a handshake controversy as well as rowdy encounters between players. The two sides did not shake hands after either game.

Sri Lanka, which had already been eliminated, will play India in a Super Four game on Friday with nothing at stake.

Put into bat, Pakistan’s innings failed to get going. Taskin Ahmed picked up 3-28 in four overs, first sending back in-form opener Sahibzada Farhan for four.

The spinners then got to work on the slow Dubai surface, with Mahedi Hasan and Rishad Hossain sharing four wickets between them.

Hossain had the dangerous Fakhar Zaman caught for 13 and then sent back Hussain Talat for three as well.

Saim Ayub fell in between – to Mahedi Hasan – for yet another duck as Pakistan was down to 49-5 in 10.5 overs.

Haris then came to the rescue and rebuilt the innings along with Shaheen Afridi (19), putting on 22 off 16 balls. Afridi hit two sixes during his 13-ball stay.

Mohammad Nawaz’s 15-ball cameo worth 25 runs then set up the game for Pakistan. He hit one four and two sixes, adding a vital 38 off 24 balls with Haris as Pakistan crossed the 130-mark.

In reply, Bangladesh’s batters faltered for a second day running. Parvez Emon fell for a two-ball duck and then Towhid Hridoy was caught for five – both off Afridi.

There was an attempt to hit out and garner runs in the powerplay, but it backfired for Bangladesh as it was down to 29-3 in 5.1 overs and then 63-5 in 11.4 overs.

All its main batters were back in the pavilion, including in-form opener Saif Hassan, who scored 18 off 15 balls with a four and two sixes.

Shamim Hossain kept the innings going with 30 off 25 balls later on, hitting two sixes. But Rauf fought cramps on a hot Dubai evening to pick up two wickets in the 18th over and wreck any Bangladesh hopes of a revival.

Off-spinner Saim Ayub also picked up 2-16 in four overs as the Pakistan bowling attack set up a Super Sunday clash for the Asia Cup title.

Afridi was named player of the match.

“We needed early breakthroughs and those three overs in the powerplay made the difference," Afridi said. “I was working on the slower ball and it came out well.” ___

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket