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Afridi blitzkrieg crushes Bangladesh

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

AFP

SCORCHING CENTURY:Shahid Afridi was ruthless as he galloped to his hundred off 53 deliveries.

Dambulla: It was a frenzied evening as an individual high and a fresh team record were set. Shahid Afridi blitzed a 124 and helped Pakistan post 385 for seven in 50 overs. The Pakistan skipper's career best effort eclipsed his earlier 109 and his team scored its highest total in ODIs while slipping past the old milestone of 371.

Pakistan's imposing score deflated Bangladesh and Tamim Iqbal's dismissal negated the chances of an improbable chase bearing fruit. In the end, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 139 runs in the Asia Cup match at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium here on Monday.

Bangladesh scored 246 for five in 50 overs.

In a clash between bottom-placed teams, Bangladesh limped away with its third successive defeat in the tournament. Bangladesh was never in the picture though its most accomplished batsman Tamim (34), punished Mohammad Asif with classy shots. Asif had the last laugh and snapped up Tamim and when the opener departed with the score reading 39, his partner Imrul Kayes was yet to open his account.

An extremely sedate Kayes (66) along with Junaid Siddique (97, 114b, 6x4, 2x6) shared a 160-run second-wicket partnership that just stretched the innings while the asking rate mounted to 20.94.

Siddique's two sixes off Abdul Razzak, were the last signs of a weak resistance before Shakib Al Hasan's men hobbled to another defeat.

Earlier, walking in with the Pakistan score reading 176 for four in the 29th over, Afridi (124, 60b, 17x4, 4x6) scattered the bowling during the course of his sixth ODI hundred. He stepped out to the spinners and hoisted them and when they sighted his stride and slipped the ball wide, Afridi just reached out and played his inside-out lofted drives. Along with Umar Akmal (50), Afridi lashed out with impunity and refused to sober down even after Mashrafe Mortaza grassed him on 32.

Scorching pace

Afridi and Akmal shared a 137-run fifth-wicket partnership off 94 deliveries and helped Pakistan set a scorching pace. Akmal, his elder brother Kamran and Abdul Razzak all played their parts but were lost in Afridi's giant shadow. Afridi, the scorer of the fastest ODI hundred (37 balls), continued his tradition of quicksilver runs and reached his latest ton off 53 deliveries.

The Pakistan captain also set the record for the maximum number of sixes in an ODI career as he lofted left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak to notch up his 271st big hit and go past Sanath Jayasuriya's tally of 270.

Afridi finally succumbed as he tried to clear the ropes but by then his marauding knock had added enough mortar to the good foundation laid out by his openers — Imran Farhat and Shahzaib Hasan — who shared an 81-run partnership.

Farhat (66) and Hasan (50) had tucked into a porous Bangladesh seam attack. Hasan slammed a six and a four off the day's first over bowled by Mortaza and the tone was set for an evening of batting dominance.

Hasan did pay the price for his across-the-line wafts and in the middle overs Pakistan lost three wickets for the addition of just 41 runs.

Among the dismissals, Umar Amin's was unfortunate. Amin had grounded his bat on completing his single, when he just stepped out and Mahmudullah whipped the bails and successfully appealed.

Amin's walk across was guided by his awareness that Mahmudullah was bowling around the wicket and that the bowler needed his space. It was another matter that the off-spinner spurned the nicety and dented the spirit of the game. The aberration was soon forgotten as Afridi's swashbuckling innings sunk Bangladesh.

Pakistan: I. Farhat b Shakib 66 (77b, 6x4, 2x6), Shahzaib Hasan lbw b Razzak 50 (38b, 6x4, 2x6), U. Amin (run out) 22 (24b, 3x4), A. Shafiq st Rahim b Shakib 17 (19b, 2x4), U. Akmal b Shafiul 50 (57b, 4x4), S. Afridi c Shuvo b Shafiul 124 (60b, 17x4, 4x6), K. Akmal c Tamim b Shafiul 23 (16b, 2x4), A. Razzaq (not out) 21 (9b, 1x4, 2x6), A. Rehman (not out) 1 (1b). Extras (b-1, lb-4, w-5, nb-1): 11. Total (for seven wkts., in 50 overs): 385.

Fall of wickets: 1-81, 2-135, 3-155, 4-176, 5-312, 6-347, 7-364.

Bangladesh bowling: Mortaza 5-0-47-0, Shafiul 10-0-95-3, Razzak

10-0-48-1, Suhrawadi Shuvo 8-0-65-0, Mahmudullah 7-0-52-0, Shakib

10-0-73-2.

Bangladesh: T. Iqbal c Akmal b Asif 34 (27b, 6x4), I. Kayes c Farhat b Afridi 66 (110b, 3x4), J. Siddique c & b Akhtar 97 (114b, 6x4, 2x6), M. Rahim (run out) 1 (4b), Shakib Al Hasan b Farhat 25 (24b, 3x4), J. Islam (not out) 11 (15b), Mahmudullah (not out) 0 (7b). Extras (lb-5, w-6, nb-1): 12. Total (for five wkts., in 50 overs): 246.

Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-199, 3-203, 4-210, 5-245,

Pakistan bowling: Akhtar 8-2-22-1, Asif 10-0-60-1, Razzaq 7-0-47-0, Rehman 10-0-37-0, Afridi 10-0-54-1, Farhat 5-0-21-1.

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