LAHORE:
Skipper Salman Agha hit a career best knock and pacer Hasan Ali grabbed his first five wicket haul as Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 37 runs in the first T20 international in Lahore on Wednesday.
Agha struck a career-best 56 to guide Pakistan to 201-7 before Hasan took 5-30 dismissed the tourists for 164 in 19.2 overs at Gaddafi Stadium. The win gives the home team a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Allrounder Shadab Khan, who also struck a quick 48, then dismissed rival skipper Litton Das for a 30-ball 48 to break a fighting 63-run stand for the third wicket that lifted Bangladesh from 37-2.
Litton hit three sixes and a boundary and had steadied the innings with Towhid Hridoy who scored 17, but the later batters could not capitalise on the platform.
Pacer Hasan ended Jaker Ali’s knock of 36 (21 balls with three sixes and a boundary), Tanzim Hasan for one and Shoriful Islam for five to cap a successful return to international cricket after a year-long injury lay-off. Earlier, Agha struck a 34-ball 56, with eight fours and a six, while Hasan Nawaz’s 22-ball 44 with four sixes helped Pakistan pass 200 after the hosts won the toss and chose to bat. The captain, whose previous T20 best of 51 not out came against New Zealand in March, added 48 for the third wicket with Mohammad Haris and 65 for the fourth with Nawaz.
