ABU DHABI: Mushfiqur Rahim scored a fighting 99 to guide Bangladesh into the Asia Cup final with a convincing 37-run win over Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
The former skipper missed out a deserving century but still lifted Bangladesh from a precarious 12-3 to 239 all out in 49.5 overs before they kept Pakistan down to 202-9 in 50 overs at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Mashrafe Mortaza’s team will now face defending champions India in the final in Dubai on Friday, with an opportuntiy to win the continental title for the first time.
Bangladesh’s victory will upset millions of fans around the world who wanted another Indo-Pak clash as the two matches in the first and second round failed to live up to their billing, with India winning both in one-sided affairs.
But Bangladesh were worthy winners on Wednesday.
Bangladesh bowled with discipline with left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman leading the pack with 4-43 as Pakistan yet again batted poorly with only opener Imam-ul-Haq fighting hard through a laborious 105-ball 82.
Imam, who hit two fours and a six, held the innings together and added 67 for the fourth wicket with Shoaib Malik (30) and another 71 for the seventh wicket with Asif Ali (31).
However, both Imam and Asif fell in successive overs to give Bangladesh only their fifth win over Pakistan in 36 one-day internationals.
Pakistan got off to a disastrous start when opener Fakhar Zaman holed out off the fifth delivery of the first over, caught off spinner Mehidy Hasan.
Left-armer Mustafizur then removed Babar Azam (one) and Sarfraz Ahmed (10) to leave Pakistan in tatters at 18-3 before Malik and Imam brought some solidity in the chase.
It was Rahim who built Bangladesh’s innings after it also got off to the worst possible start.
Rahim faced 116 balls and added an invaluable 144 for the fourth wicket with Mithun (60) to help Bangladesh recover from a shaky 12-3 after they won the toss and and opted to bat.
Left-arm paceman Junaid Khan, who replaced Mohammad Amir, had jolted Bangladesh at the start, dismissing Liton Das (six), Soumya Sarkar (0) and Mominul Haque (five).
Junaid finished with 4-19 in his nine incisive overs.
Rahim hit nine boundaries before he was caught behind with just one needed for a second hundred in the tournament, following his 144 against Sri Lanka in the first round.
It was sheer bad luck that he fell in the 42nd over, caught behind off paceman Shaheen Shah who finished with 2-47. Rahim became the first Bangladeshi batsman to be dismissed for 99 in one-day cricket.
Mithun, who added 134 with Rahim against Sri Lanka, hit four boundaries in his 84-ball innings.
Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur lead Bangladesh to victory over Pakistan, into Asia Cup final
Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur lead Bangladesh to victory over Pakistan, into Asia Cup final
Medvedev to face Griekspoor in bid for second Dubai title
- Former world No. 1 Medvedev demolished top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in the semifinal
- Despite an injury, unseeded Dutchman Griekspoor beat 5th-seed Andrey Rublev in the other semifinal
DUBAI: Daniil Medvedev reached the Dubai Tennis Championships final on Friday and will face unseeded Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor as the Russian attempts to achieve something that has eluded him throughout his stellar career — winning the same tournament twice.
Former world number one Medvedev demolished top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4 6-2 in an 83-minute semifinal, setting up a title clash that could see him claim a second Dubai crown to go with his 2023 triumph.
Medvedev, who has won 22 titles at 22 different tournaments, arrived in Dubai with a point to prove after early exits in Rotterdam and Doha.
However, the third seed has been in scintillating form in Dubai, dispatching Shang Juncheng, Stan Wawrinka, Jenson Brooksby and Auger-Aliassime — all in straight sets.
“It has been an amazing four matches, probably playing better and better each match, today being the best performance,” said Medvedev.
“If I can put in an even better performance tomorrow, I will have my chances to win and that is what I am going to try to do.”
Griekspoor battles injury to beat Rublev
Standing in his way will be Griekspoor, who continued his giant-killing run by beating fifth seed Andrey Rublev 7-5 7-6(6) in the other semifinal.
The Dutchman denied the 2022 champion, who also finished runner-up the following year, another shot at the Dubai trophy, saving two set points in the second-set tiebreak.
“No idea how I pulled off this one, I could barely walk at the end of the first set,” said Griekspoor, who took a medical timeout for treatment in the opening set.
“He served extremely well. I got very lucky in the tiebreak to win it in two sets ... I landed with a serve and felt something in my hamstring.
“If he had won the tiebreak, I don’t know if I would have continued.”
It marked three consecutive top-20 wins for Griekspoor for the first time in his career after he beat second seed Alexander Bublik and Jakub Mensik en route to the final.
Griekspoor, who has won three ATP 250 titles in his career, will be looking to add a first ATP 500 trophy to his collection when he faces Medvedev.
