Ashraf whirlwind gives Pakistan stunning win

Fahim Ashraf has not made his international debut yet, but that might not be far away after an unbeaten 64 off 30 balls from No.9 helped Pakistan beat Bangladesh by two wickets with three balls to spare in anICC Champions Trophy 2017 warm-up game at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Chasing 342 after Tamim Iqbal’s 93-ball 102 had taken Bangladesh to 341 for 9 on Saturday (May 27), Pakistan was 249 for 8 in 42.4 overs when Hasan Ali joined Ashraf at the centre. The duo put an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 93 runs in just 6.5 overs to complete a thrilling chase. Hasan remained unbeaten on 27 off 15 balls, and the duo hit six fours and five sixes between them.

Before Ashraf’s heroics, Shoaib Malik had kept Pakistan alive in the chase with a 66-ball 72 after the team was in some trouble at 78 for 3 in 13.3 overs.

After Ahmed Shehzad (44) became the third wicket to fall, Malik added 79 runs with Mohammad Hafeez (49) at a brisk rate to give purpose to the chase. Hafeez and Sarfraz Ahmed fell in the space of 12 runs, as Pakistan slipped to 168 for 5 in 28.2 overs. Imad Wasim (45) was in good touch, and he added 59 with Malik.

Mehedi Hasan dismissed Malik and Wasim, and then ran Shadab Khan out to put Bangladesh ahead. But Ashraf had other plans.

Earlier in the day, Junaid Khan, who finished with 4 for 73, dismissed Soumya Sarkar with the first ball of Bangladesh’s seventh over. Then, Tamim and Imrul Kayes (61 off 62) put on 142 runs for the second wicket.

Shadab had Kayes leg before wicket in the 27th over, but by then the stage was set for an onslaught. Tamim and Mushfiqur Rahim (46 off 35) put on 50 at 7.50, and the runs kept coming at a handy pace from thereon.

Tamim became Shadab’s second wicket, falling in the 34th over after hitting nine fours and four sixes. But, Shakib Al Hasan (23), Mahmudullah (29) and Mosaddek Hossain (26) chipped in to take Bangladesh to what seemed like a match-winning total.

Going into the mid-innings break, Bangladesh, who recently beat New Zealand in the last league game of the triangular series in Ireland, would have been happy with its batting effort.

When Taskin Ahmed had Azhar Ali caught behind in the fourth over, Bangladesh was truly ahead. It was, however, not to be its day.

Bangladesh plays its final warm-up game against India on May 30, while Pakistan will take on Australia on May 29.