Smiles and heartbreaks of T20 WC

The last match win proved inconsequential for Pakistan over Ireland.

Afghanistan has already assured itself a place in Super 8.

South Asian teams end their campaigns on a winning note

Three of the Asian teams competing in the T20 World Cup ended their group matches on a winning note. The last match wins proved inconsequential for Pakistan (over Ireland) and Sri Lanka (over the Netherlands) as they already stand eliminated from the next round. However, for Bangladesh, its 21-run win over Nepal made sure of its entry into the Super 8 round, thus making it the third South Asian team after India and Afghanistan to join the elite group.
Though Afghanistan has already assured itself a place in Super 8, it has a match against the hosts West Indies in hand.
Until the last group game, one Super Eight spot was still open after Nepal’s heart-breaking loss to South Africa. With Nepal and Sri Lanka out of the reckoning, the battle was between Bangladesh and Netherlands. Bangladesh sealed its slot with a 21-run win over Nepal. Had Bangladesh lost to Nepal in Kingstown, and the Netherlands had beaten Sri Lanka in the last night games, the Super 8 qualification would have come down to net run rates. Since “ifs” are “ifs”, nothing of the sort happened. Bangladesh had the NRR advantage also as it was on 0.478, compared to -0.408 for the Netherlands.
The only redeeming feature of the Sri Lanka-the Netherlands game was that the South Asian Islanders became the first team in this marquee event to cross the 200-mark.Sri Lanka made 201 for six, the highest of the tournament so far, before bowing out with two losses and an abandoned game. Sri Lanka then bowled out the Netherlands for 118 in 16.4 overs to win its last game by 83 runs.
India’s last game against Canada was abandoned. The outcome was inconsequential to the Group A standings as India and USA qualified for the Super 8. After Pakistan won its last game against Ireland, it moved up to number three position in the group, pushing Canada to fourth while winless Ireland remained at the bottom.
A fiery opening spell from Tanzim Hasan Sakib powered Bangladesh to a slightly tense win over Nepal, sealing its progress to the Super Eight stage. For the second game in a row Nepal had a Full Member side on the ropes with its bowling performance in Kingstown. Its batters, however, could not withstand the onslaught of pace battery of Bangladesh.
A win, let alone a comfortable one, looked like a tricky prospect for Bangladesh after it was bundled out for 106. Having come within two runs of chasing down a slightly bigger target against South Africa, Nepal would have fancied its chances of recording its first win against a full member team, but Tanzim scythed through its top order with stunning figures of 4-2-7-4 that reduced Nepal to 26 for 5.
Since the asking rate was neither high nor impossible, it kept Nepal in the hunt as Kushal Malla 27 made from 40 balls, Dipendra Singh Airee 25 from 31 balls, and wicketkeeper batter Aasif Sheikh 17 from 14 balls waged a gallant battle against the ball. But nothing could stop pacers Tanzim Hasan Sakib (4 for seven) and Mustafizur Rehman (three for seven) put on a death bowling masterclass when Nepal needed 30 off 24 to help Bangladesh pull off the lowest successful defense in a men’s T20 World Cup. In fact, when Nepal came to challenge the target of 107 runs, it found itself in a big trouble as Tanzim struck twice in his second over – the third of the innings. Kushal Bhurtel missed a low full toss that swung away late to clip the off stump before Anil Sah toe-ended his effort to mid-off.
As the battle between the bat and the ball continued, Taskin Ahmed created a couple of chances in the next over. It was Tanzim who reaped the rewards of the pressure built, with Rohit Paudel slapping a short and wide delivery straight to backward point. Tanzim nearly struck again in the over, but a plodder from Sundeep Jora fell short of the bowler.
Reliable Aasif Sheikh fell next, caught at cover to complete an excellent powerplay for Bangladesh. Tanzim bowled out in the seventh over, and picked up his fourth wicket when he had Jora caught at gully. He bowled a double-wicket maiden and a wicket maiden, and his 21 dot balls were the most by a bowler in a men’s T20 World Cup match.
In the eighth over, Dipendra Singh Airee ended a 23-ball boundary drought, when he swept the last ball of leg spinner Rishad Hossain to help Nepal reach 50 in the next over.
Kushal Malla and Dipendra Airee continued to build the innings of Nepal, shifting gears in the 16th over when highest scorer for Nepal, Kushal Malla, slog-swept Mahmudullah for teams’ first six of the innings. One ball later, he nudged him fine on the leg side for a four to bring up the fifty partnership. They were left with 30 to win off the last four. But Bangladesh did not let the chance go.
Bangladesh 106 (Shakib 17, Kami 2/10, Lamichhane 2/17, Paudel 2/20, and Dipendra Airee 2/22) beat Nepal 85 (Kushal Malla 27, Dipendra Singh Airee 25 and Aasif Sheikh 17,Tenzim 4/7, Mustafizur 3/7) by 21 runs.