All-round Maaz Sadaqat masterclass helps Pakistan level ODI series 1-1
By Nawaz Gohar ; Maaz Sadaqat delivered a sensational all-round performance, following up a blistering half-century with a clinical three-wicket haul, to propel Pakistan to a 128-run victory over Bangladesh.
The win, achieved in a rain-curtailed second ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Friday, successfully leveled the three-match series.
Chasing a DLS-revised target of 243 in 32 overs after a significant weather delay, the home side crumbled under pressure, eventually bundled out for a mere 114 in 23.3 overs.
The pursuit was doomed from the outset. Initially chasing a target of 275, Bangladesh’s top order disintegrated early, losing three wickets for just 15 runs within the first five overs. A brief stabilization by Litton Das and Towhid Hridoy was interrupted by a two-hour rain delay.
Upon resumption, the duo attempted a spirited counterattack, adding 58 runs off 47 balls. However, the golden arm of Maaz Sadaqat broke the stand by dismissing Das for a 33-ball 41.
Das’s departure triggered a catastrophic collapse. Bangladesh’s middle order vanished, slipping from a competitive position to a desperate 103/8. Haris Rauf then clinically dismantled the tail to secure a comprehensive win for the Men in Green. Sadaqat and Rauf co-led the attack with three wickets apiece, while skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed two.
Earlier, Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s decision to bowl first proved costly. Pakistan’s openers, Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat, ignited the innings with a lightning-fast 103-run partnership off just 77 balls. Sadaqat was the chief aggressor, smashing a career-best 75 off 46 deliveries, decorated with six boundaries and five towering sixes.
Despite a mid-innings wobble that saw Farhan and Shamyl Hussain depart in quick succession, Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Rizwan steadied the ship with a 109-run partnership.
However, the game took a controversial turn when Agha (64) was run out in a bizarre fashion by Miraz while attempting to assist the bowler in retrieving the ball just outside his crease.
Agha’s disgruntled exit sparked a late-order slide. Rizwan fell shortly after for a gritty 44, and Pakistan lost their final five wickets for just 43 runs, ending at 274 all out. Rishad Hossain was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts with 3/27, but the total proved more than enough for a resurgent Pakistani bowling unit.
