It could have been very different for Bangladesh. Coming into the game without Shakib Al Hasan, who was laid up by his recurrent finger injury, and then losing their top three batsmen for only 12 runs, Bangladesh looked set for another meltdown until Mushfiqur Rahim's superb 99 proved otherwise. And just when they looked set for an above-par total, Mushfiqur's wicket triggered a collapse that saw Bangladesh lose their last five wickets for 42 runs.
In a redux of Bangladesh's rearguard against Sri Lanka, hence proving that it wasn't after all a fluke, Rahim put on 144 in partnership with Mohammad Mithun for the fourth wicket - Bangladesh's highest fourth-wicket stand against Pakistan - helping Bangladesh set Pakistan a 240-run target in the virtual semifinal at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (September 26).
Pakistan dropped Mohammed Amir for the second time in the 2018 Asia Cup, bringing in Junaid Khan this time - a decision that paid immediate dividends for a team that had hitherto picked only one wicket during powerplays this edition. Junaid razed through the openers, outwitting Soumya Sarkar with a short ball and then bowling Liton Das with an absolute peach from round the wicket. The two wickets sandwiched Mominul Haque's dismissal by Shaheen Afridi, off what was the delivery of the match so far - seaming in from over the wicket to breach through the left-hander's bat-pad gap.
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