Two former world champions and traditional sub-continental rivals - India and Pakistan - will battle in the mandatory three-match finals on Jan 14, 16 and 18.
Thick fog for the third consecutive day forced the match to start 90 minutes late, reducing the contest to 41 overs. However, the cloud cleared shortly after the match began, allowing the play to continue in clear weather.
Bangladesh made two changes in their line-up which played against India by inducting top order batsman Habibul Bashar and seam bowler Zakir Hossain in place of opening batsman Shahriar Hossain and off-spinner Shariful Haq.
Pakistan also made one change in their squad which suffered an 18-run defeat against India on Sunday. They brought in leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed replacing pacer Fazle Akbar.
Pakistani wicket keeper-cum-batsman Rashid Latif, playing his second match as captain, won the toss second time in a row and invited inexperienced Bangladesh to bat on a moisture-soaked pitch. Pakistan dismissed Bangladesh for a paltry 134 runs in 39.3 overs and later reached their target easily making 136 runs for the loss of one wicket in only 24.2 overs.
ICC trophy champions and one-day debutant Bangladesh, which made good resistance against giants India on Saturday, failed to show their expected performance today in front of nearly 20,000 home crowd at the big bowl and millions of TV viewers.
It was the third lowest score for Bangladesh in their fifth match against Pakistan after 94 all out in the 2nd Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in 1986 and 111 for six in the 3rd Asia Cup in Chittagong in 1988. Off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who made an early breakthrough in the match, captured three wickets for 33 runs in eight overs and was adjudged man of the match to receive 1000 US dollars as prize money. Soon after the match, Pakistani coach Harun-ur Rashid said, ``We did not have sufficient preparation for the tourney, that's a major reason for losing the match against India ... by a narrow margin.'' He was confident of a better result in the finals ``as we've an experienced batting line-up.''
Bangladesh captain Akram Khan, who failed to impress the home crowd with his poor individual performance for the second successive time, said ``We lost the match due to a miserable batting performance.''
``Although we lost both against India and Pakistan, but we gained valuable experience from the two matches,'' he added.
In the day's match, javed Omar Belim and Habibul Bashar came to open the Bangladesh innings and made a very cautious start allowing Pakistani pacer Aaqib Javed and Azhar Mahmood to take command over the batsmen. Against the Pakistani spin attack, Bangladesh batsmen were found helpless and they took 33.1 overs to score 100 runs after an expensive 50 runs in 17.4 overs.
Bangladeshi openers put on a painstaking 33 runs in 12.4 overs in the first wicket stand. Incidentally, it was the top partnership of the Bangladesh innings.
Habibul Bashar lost his wicket first in a bid to score faster. He tried to life a ball of off-spinner Saqlain but was caught by substitute fielder Muhammad Hussain on mid wicket. Bashar scored only 15 runs off 36 balls with a boundary.
Javed Omar Belim also did not last long. In the very next over, he tried to sweep leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed but found his leg stump uprooted after making only 17 runs in 43 deliveries that featured a four. All rounder Aminul Islam Bulbul, who scored his one-day best 69 runs against India, became a victim of run out due to misunderstanding. Bulbul scored 6 runs off 13 balls much to the frustration of local fans. After skipper Akram Khan's painstaking innings which yielded only seven runs off 28 balls, Khaled Mahmud pairing with spinner Mohammad Rafiq scored 24 runs in the sixth wicket stand to give Bangladesh total a semblance of respect.
Khaled Mahmud made 19 runs off 27 balls with two fours while hard-hitting lower order batsman Mohammad Rafiq scored a fine 29 runs in 34 balls with two hits across the fence.
Pakistani new ball bowler Aaqib javed claimed two wickets for 27 runs in 7.3 overs, including a maiden, while leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed bowled most economically, also to take two wickets for 20 runs in 8 overs. Off spinner Shahid Afridi took two wickets for 25 runs in allotted eight overs with a maiden.
Replying to a poor total, Pakistani batsmen faced no trouble in reaching the winning target of 136 runs losing one wicket in only 24.2 overs. Pakistan completed hundred in 17 overs for the loss of one wicket. Shahid Afridi was the lone Pakistani batsman who returned to the pavilion with 11 runs off 19 balls that included two fours. He was caught by Sanawr off Shafiuddin who conceded 17 runs in his first over. Pakistani world record holder batsman Saeed Anmwar made quickfire 73 runs off only 69 balls that featured 13 entertaining boundaries to complete his 21st half century. His 50 (off 51 balls with six fours) came from a Mohammad Rafiq delivery.
One down Aamir Sohail scored a patient 37 runs off 61 balls with six hits to the fence. Shafiuddin took the lone Pakistani wicket of Afridi.