Bangladesh beat Pakistan

Bangladesh opened the one-day international series by bowling Pakistan out for 114 and finishing the chase inside 16 overs in Mirpur on March 11. (icc-cricket.com) The target disappeared quickly: Bangladesh reached 115 for 2 in 15.1 overs, winning by eight wickets with 209 balls left. Tanzid Hasan made 67 not out from 42 balls, and Najmul Hossain Shanto added 27. (icc-cricket.com) The match turned in Pakistan’s innings, where Nahid Rana took 5 for 24 in seven overs and Mehidy Hasan Miraz added 3 for 29. Pakistan lost wickets steadily after reaching 41 without loss and lasted only 30.4 overs. (espncricinfo.com) Faheem Ashraf’s 37 was Pakistan’s top score, while opener Sahibzada Farhan made 27. Captain Shaheen Afridi used five bowlers in the chase, but Pakistan also conceded 14 wides, the same number of runs Litton Das and Saif Hassan scored combined. (cricbuzz.com) This was the first match of a three-ODI series in Dhaka, so Bangladesh now lead 1-0 with two games left. In a 50-over match, being dismissed for 114 leaves almost no room for a bowling plan to recover, especially after a collapse in the first innings. (icc-cricket.com) Pakistan came into the tour with Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha and Shaheen Afridi in the XI, but none of the top five batters passed 27. Rizwan made 10, Salman made 5, and Bangladesh’s seamers removed the top order before Pakistan could build a platform. (cricbuzz.com) Bangladesh’s chase was built around powerplay hitting. They scored 81 in the first 10 overs, and Tanzid hit seven fours and five sixes at a strike rate above 159. (icc-cricket.com) ESPNcricinfo’s match report called it Nahid Rana’s maiden five-wicket haul in one-day internationals, and he was named player of the match. Bangladesh will take that bowling return, and the speed of the chase, into the second ODI with the series already tilted their way. (espncricinfo.com)