Can Taskin Ahmed Lead Bangladesh to Victory Against Pakistan?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Taskin Ahmed excelled with 3-28.
- Bangladesh restricted Pakistan to 135 runs.
- Strong support from Rishad Hossain and others.
- Pakistan struggled to build momentum.
- The final match against India is on September 28.
Dubai, Sep 25 (NationPress) Bangladesh's fast bowler Taskin Ahmed showcased an impressive performance with bowling figures of 3-28, helping restrict Pakistan to 135/8 during their pivotal Super Fours matchup of the Men's T20 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The victor of this match is set to face India in the championship on September 28.
On a pitch conducive to grip and turn, Bangladesh's bowlers maintained consistent pressure, with Taskin receiving strong backing from Rishad Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, and Mahedi Hasan, who all claimed vital wickets. Pakistan struggled to build momentum, only managing to surpass the 130-run mark due to contributions of 31 from Mohammad Haris and 25 from Mohammad Nawaz.
After being asked to bat first, Pakistan had a rocky beginning as Taskin dismissed Sahibzada Farhan early, while Mahedi sent Saim Ayub back to the pavilion for his fourth duck in T20Is. Although Fakhar Zaman and Salman Agha managed to relieve some pressure with a few boundaries, the scoring remained low, with Pakistan at just 27/2 by the end of the Power-play.
In an effort to accelerate in the seventh over, Fakhar ended up catching out to wide long-off off Rishad, who also took down Hussain Talat lbw with a clever googly. Rahman made a significant impact by dismissing Pakistan's captain Agha, igniting celebrations among the largely Bangladesh-supporting crowd.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was moved up the batting order, survived two dropped chances in the 12th over and an lbw review that went in his favor. He briefly counterattacked, hitting a big six over deep midwicket, but ultimately fell to a full toss, with Jaker Ali completing the catch near square leg off Taskin's delivery.
Haris and Nawaz looked to provide the necessary finishing touches to Pakistan's innings before Haris was dismissed following a reflex catch by Mahedi. Shortly after, a brilliant fielding effort by Emon led to Nawaz's dismissal, granting Taskin his third wicket as Pakistan stumbled to a total of 135.
Summary of scores:
Pakistan 135/8 in 20 overs (Mohammad Haris 31, Mohammad Nawaz 25; Taskin Ahmed 3-28, Rishad Hossain 2-18) against Bangladesh