Bangladesh national cricket team secured an exciting 11-run victory over the Pakistan national cricket team in a tense ODI decider at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, winning the bilateral series.
Chasing a challenging target of 291, Pakistan finished on 279 all out despite a superb century from Salman Agha. Bangladesh’s pace bowler Taskin Ahmed delivered a match-winning performance with four wickets.
After being sent in to bat, Bangladesh posted 290 for 5 in their allotted 50 overs. The innings was anchored by opener Tanzid Hasan, who scored a brilliant 107 runs. It was his maiden ODI century.
Tanzid played an attacking yet controlled innings, hitting six fours and seven sixes while keeping the scoreboard moving on a difficult Mirpur pitch. He shared a 105-run opening partnership with Saif Hassan, who scored 36 off 55 balls.
Later in the innings, Litton Das contributed 41 runs before falling to Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf. Towhid Hridoy added valuable late runs, remaining unbeaten on 48 off 44 balls to push Bangladesh close to the 300 mark.
Rauf was Pakistan’s most successful bowler, finishing with figures of 3 for 52.
Pakistan’s chase started poorly as Taskin Ahmed struck early blows, removing Sahibzada Farhan and Mohammad Rizwan in the opening overs. Pakistan quickly slipped to 67 for 4, putting them under heavy pressure.
Debutants Ghazi Ghori (29) and Abdul Samad (34) attempted to rebuild the innings with a 50-run partnership. However, both were dismissed in quick succession.
From there, Salman Agha played a remarkable fighting knock. Coming to the crease when Pakistan were struggling, he scored 106 off 98 balls, hitting nine fours and four sixes.
Agha also formed a crucial partnership with Saad Masood, who made 38 runs, and later with Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Afridi kept Pakistan’s hopes alive with a spirited 37 off 38 balls, hitting two fours and two sixes. However, Agha’s dismissal in the 48th over — caught off Taskin Ahmed — turned the game in Bangladesh’s favour.
Pakistan needed 14 runs from the final over with one wicket remaining. Spinner Rishad Hossain bowled the last over.
The over included a dropped catch and a tense review decision, but Pakistan could not complete the chase. Afridi was run out on the final ball, sealing Bangladesh’s victory.
The win gave Bangladesh their second successive bilateral ODI series victory over Pakistan, with the previous one coming 11 years earlier.
Tanzid Hasan’s maiden ODI century and Taskin Ahmed’s four-wicket haul proved decisive in one of the most thrilling ODI matches of the year.
