Pakistan vs Bangladesh as it happened: Afridi's day at Eden in 55-run rout of Bangladesh

After 20 overs,Bangladesh 146/6 ( Shakib Al Hasan 50 , Mashrafe Mortaza (C) 15)

Pakistan continues it’s romance with Eden Gardens, huge win here today and sound warning to India, who had a  but of an ego check at Nagpur. Riaz was hit for a four and six. But it wouldn’t matter even if it was six sixes. Pakistan win by 55 runs. Let’s put a safe bet on Afridi being crowned as the MoM.

After 19 overs,Bangladesh 134/6 ( Shakib Al Hasan 43 , Mashrafe Mortaza (C) 10)

Amir bowls his last over. Slightly on the expensive side by his standards, 11 off it, that included a brilliant dug-out four behind point from Mortaza on an attemted yorker. Amir finishes with figures of 4-0-28-2. 68 runs required form the last over

Let’s just say, LOL.

Bangladesh need 79 off 12

Or Bangladesh need India off 12#PAKvBAN #WT20

— Big Nas (@NasirJamshed_) March 16, 2016

After 18 overs,Bangladesh 123/6 ( Shakib Al Hasan 39 , Mashrafe Mortaza (C) 6)

OUT! New man in Mohammad Mithun walks. This one looks dubious. Irfan’s long legs seem to land on the line in his action but the third umpire seems to be in a hurry. He calls it legitimate, as Amir catches out Mithun.

You almost feel sad for Shakib. He slogged Irfan brilliantly to square leg. His solitary fight carries on as wickets fall around him. Mashrafe Mortaza walks in and tonks Irfan for a maximum, straight down the ground.

After 17 overs,Bangladesh 111/5 ( Shakib Al Hasan 34 , Mohammad Mithun 1)

OUT! Amir picks his second on the night as Mushfiqur Rahim tries to pull him, gets the top edge off the slower one and Akmal keeps his dignity intact with a simple catch. Rahim didn’t read that one well. This after Shehzad just dropped Shakib in the same over. Just six runs off the over.

After 16 overs,Bangladesh 105/4 ( Shakib Al Hasan 33 , Mushfiqur Rahim (W) 14)

Riaz continues. And Bangladesh seems to have settled for a boundary an over. Classic denial. Solitary Shakib continues his good fight. Puts Riaz’s slower one through the covers, all the while knowing it’s futile. RRR 24.25

After 15 overs,Bangladesh 98/4 ( Shakib Al Hasan 26 , Mushfiqur Rahim (W) 14)

Pakistan’s golden boy returns. Amir in hunt for another wicket. Shakib scoops him for a fine-leg boundary first ball up. But the story for the rest of the over is grim. A solitary single and four dot balls as the run rate goes beyond 20 an over. 104 off 30 balls.

After 14 overs,Bangladesh 93/4 ( Shakib Al Hasan 21 , Mushfiqur Rahim (W) 14)

Pakistan brings back pace in the fray. Wahab with his 140 plus size balls. That sounded wrong, but you know what we meant. Just six from the over, four off which came off Rahim’s slog over mid-wicket. RRR now beyond 18.

Riaz returns! 

After 13 overs,Bangladesh 87/4 ( Shakib Al Hasan 21 , Mushfiqur Rahim (W) 8)

Wasim continues. Mushfiqur Rahim this time pulls him beautifully to wide long-on on a short one. But a four an over isn’t enough when the RR is asking four fours an over. Only 8 ogg the over, 115 runs required from 42 balls.

After 12 overs,Bangladesh 79/4 ( Shakib Al Hasan 20 , Mushfiqur Rahim (W) 1)

Afridi goes for his last over. He can stand up, soak in the adulation today, 49 off 199, four fours and as many sixes, and a couple of wickets. Dream of a day for the Pakistani captain. It looks over for Bangladesh, Shakib though is still fighting. His four off Afridi’s first ball, smashed to the long-off boundary, isn’t enough to bring the climbing RR under check.

After 11 overs,Bangladesh 74/4 ( Shakib Al Hasan 15 , Mushfiqur Rahim (W) 1)

OUT! New bowler in sends the new batsman in packing. Imad Wasim comes in and gets Mahmadullah after Sharjeel pulls off a good catch. Bangladesh languishing now at 74/4 after 11 overs. Required run-rate now 14.22

After 10 overs,Bangladesh 69/3 ( Shakib Al Hasan 13 , Mahmudullah 2)

Afridi again, Shakib picks up a boundary in the over but it all looks like a foregone conclusion. Bangaldesh are out of steam. They were out of steam the moment Pakistani batsmen walked in. Run-rate reaching the skies now. 133 more required from last 10 overs.

After 9 overs,Bangladesh 61/3 ( Shakib Al Hasan 6 , Mahmudullah 1)

And with Tamim’s departure, the foot is off the pedal. Just three off Malik’s over, the run-rate is now climbing fast. Mahmadullah is the new batsman in.

After 8 overs,Bangladesh 58/3 ( Shakib Al Hasan 4 , Mahmadullah 0)

OUT! It’s Afridi’s day out and he gets the danger-man Tamim Iqbal. Iqbal went for a slog sweep, down on his knee, ball flies high up, and lands comfortably in Imad Wasim’s hand. Surely, a Man of the Match performance from Afridi. He has silenced (pardon the pun) all his haters in his first game of the World T20.

After 7 overs,Bangladesh 56/2 ( Tamim Iqbal 23 , Shakib Al Hasan 3)

Shoiab Malik is the change. Bangladesh’s hopes of a chase to remember have taken a hit with Sabbir’s departure. But Tamim is still out there. And he’s stubborn, that guy. He walks down the track and tonks Malik over covers for a handsome six. 11 runs off the over. Bangladesh cannot afford to take their foot off the pedal, even if it feels a bit hot.

After 6 overs,Bangladesh 45/2 ( Tamim Iqbal 15 , Shakib Al Hasan 1)

OUT! Sabbir departs! And who else but Shahid Afridi. After his blistering knock he comes in with the ball, gets slapped around a bit; a six and a four from Tamim and Sabbir respectively. He bowls out Sabbir who goes for a cut but the ball slips onto the stumps. 12 off the over, but also got the all important wicket off Sabbir

After 5 overs,Bangladesh 33/1 ( Tamim Iqbal 8 , Sabbir Rahman 21)

Riaz comes in. 144 kmph. 146 then, and shown to the boundary. Sabbir doesn’t think it’s over. He’s going to fight. Short one from Riaz sent through extra cover. Seven off the over. The run-rat emust be playing in their minds too.

Wahab Riaz comes into the attack, somewhere Shane Watson scratches his ear nervously. 

After 4 overs,Bangladesh 26/1 ( Tamim Iqbal 7 , Sabbir Rahman 16)

Five off that over, you could see Irfan huffing and puffing to send down his meanest and fastest down the track. But Sabbir and Iqbal hold their ground well and exchange strike. This is a good batting pitch, Pakistan batsmen proved that. But their seamers are out to prove the opposite. Some good pace bowling on exhibit here.

Pakistan fans have shrugged off the daze that Afridi put them in

like this shabbir guy. really exciting batsman.

— Ahmer Naqvi (@karachikhatmal) March 16, 2016

After 3 overs,Bangladesh 21/1 ( Tamim Iqbal 5 , Sabbir Rahman 14)

Indeed, Sabbir is in some fine nick. Sees off a short and wide one from Amir to the covers. Simply brilliant and fearless. All of his three boundaries have spelt confidence.

After 2 overs,Bangladesh 15/1 ( Tamim Iqbal 4 , Sabbir Rahman 9)

The big, tall Mohammad Irfan comes in, but despite his size, he’s not even half as intinidating as Amir. Sabbir, though, looks in a fine nick. After his boundary off Amir, he sends a full delivery to the ropes over mid-on.

After 1 overs,Bangladesh 6/1 ( Tamim Iqbal 1 , Sabbir Rahman 4)

Amir, true to all the hype, starts his World T20 in the same mood as he was in Asia Cup. Sent the stumps flying already in his first over. However, Sabbir Rahman comes in and glides Amir off when he gets a bit of space.

ICYMI: Throwback to Soumya Sarkar’s peach of catch as he walks back to the pavillion. 

WATCH: Sarkar's stunning catch to remove to end a fine innings from Hafeez. #WT20 #BANvPAK https://t.co/eNHSVWDSMZ pic.twitter.com/iNEvoGJiIH

— ICC (@ICC) March 16, 2016

Pakistan 201/5 after 20 overs, Bangaldesh need 202

It was  much more than a batting showcase from Pakistan, it was a statement. Ahmed Shehzad was a class act on his return, justifying his selection. Hafeez was simply exquisite. And then the Afridi onslaught. It’s the perfect time to hit form for Pakistan’s batting line-up, just before the all-important and much-talked about match against India.

It’s been a weird precursor to the World T20 for Pakistan. A shoddy Asia Cup campaign, another loss to India. The World T20 drama, will they-won’t they, the venue change, the sucurity concerns, the political tussle, the Afridi controversy. But they have laid all that too rest. Pakistan fans must be overjoyed, Miandad must be digging his hole to hide in, and Afridi is roaring. How can you not love him. 

Bangladesh have an incredibly tought taks at hand. But an Eden Gardens crowd behind them, they could pull off the impossible.

After 20 overs,Pakistan 201/5 (Shoaib Malik 15 (9b 2×4 0x6) , Imad Wasim 0 (0b 0x4 0x6))

Malik made sure Pakistan crosses 200, the second time they have done so in T20Is. He hit Taskin on his first two balls. The young Bangladeshi going for yorkers but not finding that accuracy. Malik cut the first one, a full toss. The second, he sent straight down long-on for another four. Pakistan have made a huge total at Eden Gardens. 201/5.

OUT! It’s not to be a fastest 50. Afridi is caught on deep square-leg, his slog falling short of the boundary.

He departs on 49 off 19.

One last over left. Pakistan look set to goo past 200. India, be very, very scared.

Afridi on his way for a fastest T20I 50 by a Pakistan player.

Shahid Afridi on 49 off 18 balls! The fastest T20I fifty for Pakistan is off 21 balls for Umar Akmal https://t.co/kP6HQo4omx #BANvPAK #WT20

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) March 16, 2016

After 19 overs,Pakistan 189/4 ( Shahid Afridi (C) 49 , Shoaib Malik 3)

Afridi has decided to answer over all the ’love from India’ controversy today. This is madness.  First he hit Shakib for a four through the covers on short slower one. Next, he goes Boom Boom. Slogs it over long on and moves to 49 off 18 balls. fours sixes and as many fours.

After 18 overs,Pakistan 176/4 ( Shahid Afridi (C) 38 , Shoaib Malik 1)

Akmal walks, but Afridi is still talking out there. He slapped a flat six one the very first ball, the power on that was scary. Shoaib Malik comes in the middle.

After 17 overs,Pakistan 168/3 ( Shahid Afridi (C) 31 , Umar Akmal 0)

Hafeez departs but Afridi has continued his onslaught. He moves to 31 off 12 balls, Three fours and two sixes.

OUT! Hafeez is caught out on the rope after his brilliant 64 off 42.

But what a catch that was. Soumya Sarkar the outfielder there. It looked the ball would sail beyond, but he gets a stretched hand on it, throws it up in the air as his momentum carries him over the rope, quicky jumps back inside and waits fir his tossed ball to land snugly in his hands. Beautiful.

After 16 overs,Pakistan 157/2 ( Mohammad Hafeez 59 , Shahid Afridi (C) 25)

Exquisite from Hafeez.First, he just caressed the ball down towards leg with a deft paddle and then a backfoot drive down extra cover for a bullet boundary. This is pure cricketing joy. And Afridi’s bruteness follows. He slogs Al-Amin to a huge, huge six over cow corner. It was sailing for a whole minute.