Pakistan 135 for 8 (Haris 31, Nawaz 25, Taskin 3-28, Rishad 2-18) to win Bangladesh 124 for 9 (Shamim 30, Afridi 3-17, Rauf 3-33, Ayub 2-16) for 11 runs
It was one of those weird games where the team with the most sixes ended up losing. Pakistan managed just five sixes, with Bangladesh repeating the feat in the tenth over of the chase. They eventually finished with seven sixes but, struggling to find more on a pitch that may not have been conducive to that style, they continued to fall back.
Pakistan is slow
In the next over, off-spinner Mahedi Hasan had Ayub take a catch at mid-off for a three-ball duck – his fourth duck in six Asia Cup innings and ninth in 45 T20I innings. Only Umar Akmal (ten in 79 T20I innings) has scored more for Pakistan.
Fakhar Zaman also went nowhere, scoring just 12 of his 18 powerplay goals while Pakistan scored only 27. Only Hong Kong have scored fewer powerplay runs in this Asian Cup.
Haris and Nawaz save Pakistan
Pakistan’s first six innings came in the 13th over when Afridi drove Tanzeem Hasan Saqib to the top over midwicket. In the next over, he hit Taskin for another six before missing a full toss to the wicketkeeper. After falling at 1 and 3, Afridi scored 19 points off 13 balls.
Nawaz could have been sent off for 0 had Parvez Hossain not missed a standard catch. He scored 25 from 15 goals. Haris also played his part, taking on Rishad and Mustafizur for 31 off 23 balls as Pakistan smashed 80 runs in the last eight overs.
Bangladesh disappears in pursuit
Nurul Hasan then launched with a first-ball six, albeit from the top edge, but Bangladesh could not sustain their batting and continued to find the boundary chasers. Shamim Hossain, who top-scored for Bangladesh with 30 off 25 balls, was their only batter to hit 20.
Bangladesh’s faint hopes faded when Afridi came back with the old ball and got Shamim to catch Talat, who was not needed with the ball that day. Bangladesh were missing their regular captain and key batter Litton Das, who was ruled out for the second game in a row with a side strain. Jaker Ali, the stand-in captain, was among a long list of batters who ran out trying to clear the boundary.
Pakistan had an injury scare when Rauf fell unconscious during his follow-on in the 18th over, but he continued playing to complete his spell to seal the final between India and Pakistan on Sunday.
Deivarayan Muthu is the Deputy Editor of ESPNcricinfo.