Pakistan beat Bangladesh to reach Asiad final

Bangladesh's quest for gold in the men's cricket event at the Asian Games ended in disappointment on Thursday, as Pakistan overcame them by six wickets in a rain-affected first semifinal at Korogi Sports Park in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, to book a place in the gold-medal match.

After a prolonged delay caused by heavy rain and inclement weather, Bangladesh, asked to bat first, were restricted to 111 for seven in 13 overs, having lost three top-order wickets for a mere 21 runs under sustained pressure from Pakistan's bowlers. Towhid Hridoy attempted to repair the damage, top-scoring with 45 off 25 balls, including four sixes, while Saif Hassan contributed 19. Nevertheless, Bangladesh struggled to accelerate consistently, and although Sheikh Mahedi Hasan's two late boundaries provided some impetus, the total proved modest.

Pakistan initially faltered in pursuit, as Mahedi and Nasum Ahmed struck early and Saim Ayub and Usman Khan also departed, thereby rekindling Bangladesh's hopes. However, the contest swung decisively in the 10th over, when the experienced pacer Mustafizur Rahman conceded a six and four successive boundaries in a costly spell. Consequently, Pakistan regained complete control of the chase.

Read More: Sharmin climbs 10 places in women’s T20 batting rankings

Abdul Samad and Hasan Nawaz then produced aggressive unbeaten innings to finish the task comfortably, with Samad hitting 30 off 15 balls, including five fours and a six, and Nawaz remaining unbeaten on 27 from 22 deliveries. Pakistan reached the target with nine balls to spare and advanced to the final, whereas Bangladesh must now regroup and turn their attention to the bronze-medal contest.