1st ODI: Bangladesh v Pakistan at Chittagong, 22 Jan 2002 CricInfo Live Report

1st ODI: Bangladesh v Pakistan at Chittagong, 22 Jan 2002
Shahryar Khan

Pakistan innings: 20 overs, 40 overs, 50 overs,
Bangladesh innings: 20 overs, 40 overs, End of match,

MASUD’S FIFTY ONLY SOLACE FOR BANGLADESH

Khaled Masud and Enamul Haque batted pressure-free, knowing that the target was already out of their reach. Among the two, Masud took advantage of some loose deliveries deftly, while Enamul restrained himself from taking any risks.

With the approach of the end overs, both batsmen went into their shell instead of going for their shots. Masud got his highest score in one-day internationals, pushing Younis Khan to long off. He took 97 balls to notch up 56 not out. His previous best was an unbeaten 53.

Inzamam-ul-Haq came on to bowl the last over when Bangladesh were 52 runs away from the target. The big Inzamam got the breakthrough by removing Enamul Haque caught at deep mid-wicket by Naved Latif. He scored 30 off 59 balls.

Pakistan won the match convincingly by a margin of 49 runs; at the end of 50 overs, Bangladesh were 153 for 7.

KHALED AND ENAMUL PLAYING FOR RESPECTABLE TOTAL

From the moment they started batting, Bangladesh suffered from a severe attack of nerves when it came to facing the Pakistani fast bowlers. They could not offer any resistance, often gifting their wickets away irresponsibly and then varying the monotony by getting run out foolishly.

The dismissal of Khaled Mahmud mirrored Al-Sahariar’s. The batsman raced to the other end without taking any note of whether his partner was responding or what the fielders were doing.

Tushar Imran played three slashes for boundaries in the course of his innings, but in spite of playing patiently, he never looked relaxed at the crease.

Saqlain Mushtaq finally finished him off, a short ball being pulled straight to Inzamam-ul-Haq; Tushar made 21, including three fours.

Shoaib Akhtar bowled fast once again in his second spell, forcing the batsmen onto the back foot and restricting the run-rate effectively.

But Enamul Haque, along with his skipper Khaled Masud, kept plodding away. They found the boundary a few more times, saving their side from a humiliating surrender. They built a partnership that took the tally to 115 for 6 after 40 overs.

SHOAIB AKHTAR INSPIRES A RAMPAGE

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar gave the Bangladesh top-order a severe jolt in his first spell of five overs. The pace demon sent down vicious deliveries to eliminate Mehrab Hossain and Javed Omar within a brief interval.

Mehrab Hossain was completely beaten by the sheer pace that Shoaib imparted in his first over, seeing his stumps shattered when he was yet to score and when his side had only one run on the board.

Javed Omar Belim followed soon after , desperately trying to play a lofted shot off a rising delivery outside the off-stump off Shoaib Akhtar in the eighth over. The ball just spooned into Saqlain Mushtaq's safe hands.

The fall of two quick wickets slowed down the run-rate further, especially as Bangladesh were playing without dependable Habibul Bashar, and Waqar and Shoaib bowled their hearts out. The pair of Al-Sahariar and Tushar Imran added some runs aided by some leg-byes.

Waqar concentrated his field in an attacking arc around the batsman and had each of his bowlers maintain an attacking line just on and outside the line of off-stump. It paid dividends almost immediately as the next two wickets fell into that trap.

A wobbling Al-Sahariar got himself run out in frustrating fashion, racing down to the opposite end after the ball hit his pad. He departed on 18, so far the highest score, leaving his side on the edge of disaster .

Abdur Razzaq took advantage of Sanwar’s poor shot selection, the right-hander edging a catch to Azhar Mahmood while prodding at a delivery outside the off-stump.

Tushar and Mahmud were at the crease with the total on 52 for 4, after the completion of 20 overs.

BANGLADESH RESTRICT PAKISTAN TO 202

Pakistan will be defending a total of 202 against Bangladesh in the opening match of the Coca Ccola one-day series at the MA Aziz Stadium. Their lower order was forced into a rescue mission in the wake of a disastrous top and middle order collapse that handed the hosts a significant early edge.

Seasoned wicket-keeper Rashid Latif (79) and Abdur Razzaq (25) played the chief roles in steering their side to a pretty moderate total of 202. Latif played brilliantly throughout, and Razzaq assisted him well.

Followed by the wicket of Razzaq, Enamul Haque grabbed another by sending Azhar Mahmood back for 1. He finished his spell with two for 46 off his stipulated 10 overs.

Tareq claimed his third wicket and confirmed his place in the second one-dayer in Dhaka, dismissing Waqar Younis (1) soon after Azhar’s departure. He bagged three wickets, giving away only 19 runs in his 10-over spell.

At the end, Mohammed Sharif bowled brilliantly to thwart any Pakistani aggression, removing Rashid Latif by shattering his stumps. The pace-bowler finished his 9.5 over spell with 3 wickets as well.

RASHID LATIF RESCUES PAKISTAN

Younis Khan and Rashid Latif were forced into a period of consolidation, handling the host bowlers cautiously after Inzamam-ul-Haq’s loss.

Tareq Aziz bowled an excellent line and was very economical, conceding only 12 runs off his first seven overs. After 25 overs, spin was brought on for the first time at one end.

The pair added 21 runs before Khaled Mahmud dismissed Younis Khan, the batsman playing on his back foot to go for a square drive only to drag the ball onto his stumps. Younis left Pakistan 88 for 5 in the 27th over. He struck a solitary boundary in his 21 off playing 41 balls.

After a period of relative inactivity, Latif came out his shell to get the scoreboard racing along. With the aid of Abdur Razzaq, Latif revealed his true talents by slamming boundaries to all parts of the ground. He targetted Enamul Haque’s sloppy deliveries find the fence on more than one occasion.

The Bangladesh bowlers failed to maintain the pressure on the Pakistanis soon after their fifth bowler began operations. Latif reached his fifty quickly, and the 13 overs after Younis’s dismissal produced 77 runs, a majority of them off Rashid’s willow.

At the end of the 40th over, Pakistan were relatively better placed on 165 for 5, with Latif on 62 and Razzaq on 23.

PAKISTAN TOP-ORDER CRUMBLES AT CHITTAGONG

Bangladesh pace bowlers Tareq Aziz shocked Pakistan’s aspirations of mounting an explosive start to the opening match of the one-day series in MA Aziz stadium at Chittagong. The opening bowlers impressed in excellent opening spells to help reduce the tourists to 67 for 4 after 20 overs.

Pakistan made a disastrous start, losing the early wicket of Shahid Afridi (7) when the hard hitter, playing just 9 deliveries, was caught behind off Mohammed Sharif with the score on 12.

Five overs later, Manjural Islam was next to strike, removing Yousuf Youhana, one of the stalwarts of Pakistani batting line-up. Youhana, never looking comfortable from the beginning, gave a catch to Tareq Aziz. He played 16 deliveries to manage 7, including a solitary boundary.

Tareq Aziz, the right-arm medium-pacer playing in his debut match, clean-bowled Naved Latif when the batsman was on 17. Naved hammered three boundaries in his innings, but he played too many dot balls in the process.

Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan built a 32-run partnership in the following overs. They dealt with the bowlers patiently and cautiously. Inzamam struck three fours in his 20 before being another victim of Tareq. The burly right-hander offered a simple catch to Sanwar Hossain with the score on 67.