Tigers fail to pounce again

A magnificent rearguard effort from India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja could not offset the early damage done by seamers Trent Boult and Matt Henry as New Zealand secured a second successive World Cup final berth with an 18-run win in a pulsating semifinal at Old Trafford yesterday. New Zealand completed the win on the reserve day set aside for the semifinals and finals after rain had forced a suspension on Tuesday, which ended with the Kiwis on 211 for five in 46.1 overs.

The Black Caps will meet the winner of today’s second semifinal between Australia and England in the final at Lord’s on July 14. If Australia win, it will be a replay of the 2015 World Cup final and if England win, there will be a new world champion come Sunday night.

Chasing 240 to win, India had brought the chase down to 37 from the last three overs with Jadeja and Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the crease. Having hit four sixes while dragging India back into contention, Jadeja perished trying for a necessary fifth to be caught in the ring off a Boult slower ball. Dhoni started the next over from Lockie Ferguson, which began with India needing 31, with a six over point but off the third ball a precision throw from deep square leg from Martin Guptill found Dhoni just short of his crease in his attempt to complete his 51st run. Guptill’s pinpoint accuracy was one of the examples of fortune favouring the brave after skipper Kane Williamson had gone for wickets early on and gambled by bowling his best bowlers out before the last two overs.

Ferguson bowled Bhuvneshwar Kumar with a slower ball and then Jimmy Neesham had Yuzvendra Chahal caught behind as India were all out for 221 with three balls to spare.

New Zealand’s win over the more fancied India was based on doing what no other team had managed against the 2011 World Cup champions in this edition so far -- dismissing Rohit Sharma and skipper Virat Kohli within the first 10 overs. After New Zealand had added 28 runs for the loss of three wickets in the morning yesterday, three wickets from Henry and one -- that of Kohli -- from Boult cut the Indians down to 24 for four after the first 10 overs. The significance of those early blows can best be illustrated by the fact that in their eight league games, India had lost just four wickets in the first 10 overs.

But the two-time champions’ chasing pedigree came through later on, when Jadeja dominated a 116-run seventh-wicket stand with MS Dhoni, who was handing the strike over to the left-hander in red-hot form. Jadeja came to

the crease with India reeling on 92 for six in the 31st over with Dhoni playing slowly and the match all but lost. He hit a 59-ball 77 in the partnership that lasted 17.2 overs and nearly pulled off a miracle.

Earlier, in ideal swing-bowling conditions, captain Williamson’s gamble to go all out for wickets was rewarded by two bowlers who executed that plan to the letter with highly accurate and incisive spells. Henry drew first blood in the second over by having Sharma -- who scored five centuries in eight league games -- caught by the keeper with an edged away-swinger. Boult worked Kohli over with a sequence of two outswingers and two inswingers, with the right-hander playing across the line and being trapped in front by the second inswinger. Lokesh Rahul repeated Sharma’s error -- poking without conviction at an away-swinger -- to leave India on a woeful five for three in the fourth over. Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant fought hard to survive with Boult constantly keeping the batsmen guessing and playing late. Neesham then completed the Powerplay dominance by snaffling a superb catch at point millimetres off the ground diving to his left when Karthik checked a drive to another outswinger from Henry and got a thick outside edge in the 10th    over.

Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner did his part by bowling a tight line and Pant, realising the need for some quick runs, attempted a maximum but was instead caught off a slog sweep at deep midwicket in the 23rd over. The pressure also told on Hardik Pandya, whose wild slog in the 31st over off the same bowler was caught by Williamson in the ring, leaving India in a seemingly hopeless position. Jadeja’s innings followed, as did a late Dhoni fightback in what could be the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman’s last ODI, but the early ground ceded to the brave Kiwis proved too much to recover.

Bangladesh's World Cup ended with a crushing defeat against Pakistan at Lord's on Friday. It was an anticlimactic finish to an otherwise fantastic run by the Tigers in the showpiece event that had started brilliantly for them with a fabulous victory against South Africa more than a month ago.

Interestingly, the harsh reality after Friday's chastening defeat is that we are no longer talking about how well the Tigers have played but how badly they have signed off.

The Pakistan game was a dead rubber for Bangladesh. The only thing at stake for the Tigers was to win the game and finish fifth, just beneath the four semifinalists. It could have been a logical conclusion after a campaign that saw the Tigers beat West Indies and Afghanistan apart from that near-miss against New Zealand and two closely-fought battles against Australia and India respectively. There was also a washout disappointment for the Tigers against the Lankan Lions.

But those were blurry amidst the punishing defeat by Pakistan, a team that also blew hot and cold throughout their own campaign.

It was arguably only the second of Bangladesh's nine league games where they were outclassed by the opposition after that heavy England defeat.

They bowled badly and fielded even worse, allowing Pakistan to post a commanding 315. It was a tough task to chase down that total on a slow wicket. The Tigers fans were still hoping that it was possible considering that the Tigers had scored three 300-plus totals in the tournament so far against quality attack.

It would be cruel to say that the batting unit, the most impressive of the three departments, did not try, or that they threw their wickets away. The truth is that they were outsmart by a fantastic young Pakistan bowler -- Shaheen Shah Afridi. The left-arm pacer took six wickets and earned all of them.

His immaculate line and length, subtle changes of variation and pace and those searing yorkers were too hot to handle for the Tigers. Shaheen turned up with his golden arm whenever the Tigers tried to wrest the initiative from the firm grip of Pakistan.

Shakib Al Hasan tried hard. He was out there to complete his seventh fifty-plus knock in eight completed games before being dismissed by Shaheen.

It was a game where Bangladesh's weaknesses in two departments -- bowling and fielding -- were exposed for the umpteenth time. After the game it came under the scanner, which is quite logical.

But the emotional override after that defeat was not all that rational, especially when the criticism targeted Tigers captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who took only one wicket in the whole tournament. There was a lot of speculation about Mashrafe's participation in the last game against Pakistan. Thankfully, he played what was his last World Cup game, which was a logical decision.

The fans perhaps expected him to make an announcement of his retirement in that game. But he preferred to buy some time to make his decision, which is also understandable. He said it was his last World Cup. He has served Bangladesh cricket on those bad legs with extreme dedication and is the man behind taking Bangladesh to a position of strength in the one-day format.

Mashrafe is a born fighter. We can be critical about his performance in the World Cup. But he also deserves to make his own decision.

What every stakeholder of the game now needs is to allow enough time for the overflowing emotions to die down.

After the Champions Trophy semifinal defeat against India in England in 2017, Shakib was having a chat with a few Bangladesh reporters ahead of the post-match briefing. Asked what areas Bangladesh needed to improve on to be more competitive, Shakib said: "We are all emotional at the moment. I think we should allow it to subside and then sit together so that we can make that decision rationally."

It was as true then as it is now. The reality is that Bangladesh's glorious chapter with Mashrafe is all but over. It is time to take a deep breath and plan for the 2023 World Cup.

Choose a new leader wisely, think of a new set of coaching staff if necessary and harness a combination most suited for Indian conditions where the next World Cup will be held. It will only help to dream big.

Sparkling 50s from skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez take Pakistan to a thumping nine-wicket win over Bangladesh at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Having won the first T20I on Friday by five wickets, today's win gives Pakistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. 

1.4 - Wicket! Shafiul Islam provides the early breakthrough once again. Rookie Pakistan opener Ahsan Ali tries to hit a length ball over the top and top edges it to Mahmudullah Riyad at mid off. Ahsan Ali c Mahmudullah b Shafiul 0 (7b) FOW 6/1

Bangladesh limp to 136 for 6

A weak batting display takes Bangladesh to 136 for six in the second T20I against Pakistan -- the second-lowest T20I score at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. 

19.1 - Wicket! Skipper Mahmudullah Riyad tries a hoick and misses, furniture disturbed. Mahmudullah b Haris Rauf 12 (12b, 1x4)

17.4 - Wicket! And it won't be a meaningful innings from Tamim as he is run out for the second time in as many matches. Hits to cover and is run out going for a single at the non-striker's end. He did not put in a dive and actually slowed down, lazy running. Having taken up so many deliveries, Tamim needed to do better than that. Tamim Iqbal run out 65 (53b, 7x4, 1x6) FOW 117/5

15.4 - Four! Tamim pulls Shadab Khan to deep midwicket. Three boundaries in the over that ends up costing 14. 100 up for Bangladesh.

15.3 - Four! Tamim punishes a waist-high (may have been over waist height) full toss over short third man. 

15.1 - Four and Tamim's 50! Tamim hits Shadab Khan through cover for four to bring up his 50 off 43 balls. Given his slow batting, he will have to hit many more of those to make his contribution meaningful. 

14.4 - Wicket! The slow progress forces Afif Hossain's hand, as he tries to hit Mohammad Hasnain over the off side but finds the hands of third man. Afif Hossain c Haris Rauf b Mohammad Hasnain 21 (20b, 1x4, 1x6) FOW 86/4

After 12 overs Bangladesh reach 74 for three -- the first time in the innings that the run rate has gone above six.

11.4 - Six! Tamim comes down the wicket to part-time off-spinner Iftikhar Ahmed and hits a six straight back over the bowler's head. 

9.5 - Six! That's gone the other way. A powerful slog sweep over deep midwicket. Some urgency at last from Bangladesh. 

9.4 - Four! Afif Hossain reverse sweeps Shadab Khan behind point. Much-needed boundary.

7.5 - Wicket! Liton Das may consider himself just slightly unlucky as he reviews this leg-before decision and the decision stands because the ball was shown to be just shaving leg stump. A length ball from leg-spinner Shadab Khan pitched on middle and length and did not turn much, Liton missed a sweep. Bangladesh keep their review as the original umpire's decision made the difference, but that won't be of much consolation to Liton. Liton Das lbw b Shadab 8 (14b, 1x4)

6.6 - Four! The first sign that Tamim once used to be a dashing batsman as he unleashes a powerful cover drive off Hasnain for four. 

5.4 - Four! Liton Das plays a sumptuous back foot punch past point off Haris Rauf. 

4.5 - Dropped! Tamim Iqbal, on 15, enjoys some luck as keeper Mohammad Rizwan drops a difficult chance off an incise edge diving to his right. Was a wonderful delivery from Hasnain, cut back into the left-hander from over the wicket and cut Tamim in half.

4.2 - Wicket! Mohammad Hasnain ends Mahedi's time at the crease with a sharp bouncer that the right-hander tried to hook, but only succeeded in top-edging to the keeper. Mahedi Hasan c Mohammad Rizwan b Mohammad Hasnain 9 (12b, 1x6) FOW 22/2

This wicket seems to be much better than the slow surface on which the teams played the first T20I, so a total in excess of 160 would be needed for Bangladesh. 

2.5 - Four! Tamim makes it a good over for Bangladesh by sweeping Imad Wasim for a four between square leg and fine leg. 12 runs off the over and Bangladesh will hope to continue this trend.

2.3 - Six! This is what Mahedi has been picked in the squad for and why he has been included today. Gets down on one knee and deposits an Imad Wasim delivery well beyond the midwicket boundary. 

1.2 - Wicket! Mohammad Naim may have been Bangladesh's highest scorer in the first T20I but he goes for a first-ball duck today. But it was a terrible ball to get first up, and an incredibly good one to bowl to a new batsman from Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi. The ball pitched on off stump, zipped away off the surface and kissed the edge through to the keeper. Mohammad Naim c Mohammad Rizwan b Shaheen Afridi 0 (1b). FOW 5/1

Mahedi in for Mithun as Bangladesh choose to bat

Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah Riyad won his second toss in a row and chose to bat in the second T20I against Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. 

There was one change to the team that lost by five wickets to Pakistan yesterday as all-rounder Mahedi Hasan was drafted into the team in place of batsman Mohammad Mithun. 

Pakistan, who lead the three-match series 1-0, are unchanged. 

Teams

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Naim, Afif Hossain, Mahmudullah Riyad (c), Liton Das (wk), Soumya Sarkar, Mahedi Hasan, Aminul Islam, Shafiul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman

Pakistan: Ahsan Ali, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf,  Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain