Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim became the first Bangladeshi pair to score a century each in the same innings as the Tigers ended their 16 years of wait for their second win over Pakistan in the first one-day international in Dhaka on Friday. Bangladesh lost 40 matches to Pakistan in all formats since they famously beat Pakistan in 1999 World Cup in England and looked set to overcome the jinx once they made their highest one-day score of 329 for six.
Paceman Taskin Ahmed and left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny shared six wickets between them as they dismissed Pakistan for 250 runs in 45.2 overs to notch up a 79-run win and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Left-handed opener Tamim hit 132 off 135 balls and Mushfiq smashed a 77-ball 106 to steer Bangladesh past their previous best total of 326 for three against the same rivals in 2014.
The pair added 178 runs for the third wicket, their country’s highest partnership for any wicket, improving upon the 175 by Habibul Bashar and Rajin Saleh against Kenya in 2006.
Tamim and Mushfiq ruined off-spinner Saeed Ajmal’s comeback to international cricket after an absence of eight months due to an illegal bowling action.
Ajmal conceded 74 runs in 10 wicketless overs with his remodelled action to finish with his worst one-day bowling figures.
Ajmal’s previous worst bowling figure was 0-71 against Ireland in Dublin in 2013 and it was hard to imagine he can do any worse than it, especially after his first four overs cost him just seven runs.
As the pressure began to mould, Mushfiq joined Tamim with 67-2 at 20-over mark and hammered all Pakistani bowlers, including the spin spearhead, to shift the momentum.
Mushfiq provided the counter punch and Tamim grew in confidence to play his usual shots as Bangladesh added 96 runs between 30 to 40 overs to devastate Pakistan attack.
Mushfiq swept Ajaml to race to his 50 off 42 balls and in the same over Tamim completed his fifth ODI century. When Tamim left after hitting 15 fours and three sixes, Mushfiq was batting on 79 but he did not allow it to affect his concentration.
Mushfiq, who was dropped by Junaid Khan on 35, hoisted Ajmal for two sixes in the next over to race to 90s and finally reached his century off 69 balls, the quickest of his three ODI centuries.
The match marked the start of a new era for Pakistan following the one-day retirement of skipper Misbah-ul Haq and all-rounder Shahid Afridi after the World Cup.
New one-day captain Azhar Ali led Pakistan’s batting charge with 72 off 73 runs after the first two wickets fell for 59 runs. Azhar shared 89 with Haris Sohail (51) to give Pakistan a glimmer of hope until Taskin removed both the batsmen to put Bangladesh firmly in control.
The match swung decisively to Bangladesh’s way as Sunny dismissed Fawad Alam and other debutant Saad Nasim in the same over, leaving too little time for fellow debutant Mohammad Rizwan to do something.
Rubel Hossain ensured Rizwan could cause no heartbreak for Bangladesh, as it happened in many cases against Pakistan in the past, making him a catch of Nasir Hossain for 67.
-With New Age input
