Anamul ton powers Bangladesh to 326-3
MIRPUR, Bangladesh (AP) — Opener Anamul Haque hit 100 in leading Bangladesh to its highest one-day international total of 326-3 against scrappy defending champion Pakistan in the Asia Cup on Tuesday.
Anamul pulled four sixes and six fours in his 132-ball century the second of his career, while Imrul Kayes (59), Mominul Haque (51) and captain Mushfiqur Rahim (51 not out) also hammered half centuries against erratic bowling.
Shakib Al Hasan, returning to the side after a three-match ban, gave the innings an impetus with a rapid 44 off only 16 balls at the end.
The total surpassed Bangladesh's previous best ODI score of 320-8 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo five years ago.
Pakistan suffered a big loss when umpire Johan Cloete barred left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman from bowling after he delivered his first three balls above waist high at Imrul. Rehman had figures of 0-0-8-0.
Pakistan could not recover from Rehman's setback in the 11th over as Anamul and Imrul — playing his first ODI in two years — put on a 150-run opening stand off 172 balls.
That stand allowed Bangladesh to plunder 121 runs off the last 10 overs.
It added up to a remarkable turnaround in the performance of the host team after losing to Asia Cup first-timer Afghanistan in the previous match. Bangladesh needs to win both of its remaining matches and clinch one with a bonus point to have any chance of qualifying for the final against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan would qualify for the final with a win.
After Mushfiqur won the toss and elected to bat, Pakistan should have dismissed Imrul before he scored but Ahmed Shehzad dropped a one-handed catch in the slips in Mohammad Hafeez's very first over.
Anamul played fluently and smashed fast bowler Mohammad Talha for two sixes and a four in one over as the bowlers over-pitched or bowled short of a length.
Talha returned and had Imrul caught behind but Moiminul continued the momentum of scoring at a brisk pace by smashing six boundaries. Anamul reached his century with a single off Saeed Ajmal (2-61) before he holed out in the deep in the same over.
Shakib, one of the five changes made by Bangladesh, and Mushfiqur put on 77 runs off a mere 34 deliveries and ace offspinner Ajmal, who conceded only nine runs in his first six overs, was punished for 52 in his next four.
Mushfiqur scored the bulk of the runs against Ajmal and hit eight fours in his unbeaten knock off 33 balls.
Fast bowler Umar Gul was also expensive, conceding 76 runs without a wicket while Shahid Afridi was hammered for 64, also without a wicket.
