Having secured a historic series win with a match to spare, Bangladesh opted to shake things up in the third and final T20I. Five changes were made to the playing XI, and the result was a performance that stood in stark contrast to the previous outings.
What followed was a collapse that saw the hosts bowled out for just 104 in response to Pakistan’s 179, failing to bat out their 20 overs and missing out on a whitewash in emphatic fashion. Pakistan sealed a 74-run win and ended the series 2-1.
At the post-match press conference following the second T20I, player of the match Jaker Ali Anik had spoken confidently about Bangladesh aiming for a clean sweep. But on the field in the third match, it was clear that the changed side struggled to replicate the form or intent shown earlier.
Chasing 179, Bangladesh lost half their side for just 25 runs. At that point, the only real objective was to avoid the embarrassment of recording their lowest ever T20I total. Thanks to a fighting 35 off 34 balls from Mohammad Saifuddin, which included two sixes and two fours, they managed just that.
Until Saifuddin’s late flourish, the innings had no sixes. The only two meaningful partnerships were worth 24 runs each, one with Nasum Ahmed and another with Shoriful Islam.
Pakistan, on the other hand, had earlier powered to 82 runs for the opening wicket and looked a world apart in terms of intent and execution. Bangladesh’s chase, by contrast, was meek. When opener Mohammad Naim was dismissed as the seventh batter, the team score was still only 34. Saifuddin’s lone resistance took them to three figures, but by then the game had long slipped away.
The damage was largely done by debutant Salman Mirza, who ripped through the top order with a superb spell. He struck with just the second ball of the innings, when Tanzid Tamim stepped down the pitch and edged behind. He returned in his third over to knock over both Jaker Ali and Mahedi Hasan’s stumps in quick succession.
Earlier, Litton Das had missed an in-swinger from Faheem Ashraf and was bowled. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, playing his first game of the series, got off the mark with two confident boundaries but soon perished after misreading a slower ball from Faheem. Attempting a lofted shot over mid-on, he was caught by Abbas Afridi. Shamim Hossain, one of the few experienced batters left, was bowled while trying to manufacture room against Salman.
Perhaps the most frustrating innings came from Naim Sheikh. Promoted to open, he crawled to 10 off 17 balls and looked completely out of rhythm. Trying to release the pressure, he attempted to loft Ahmed Daniyal over mid-off, only to mistime the shot and hand a simple catch to Agha Salman inside the circle.
In the end, the changes proved costly. Bangladesh’s decision to experiment cost them the chance at a statement whitewash. The manner of the defeat raised more questions than answers, particularly regarding the depth and adaptability of their T20 squad.