Mushfiqur Rahim and Mustafizur Rahman lift Bangladesh into Asia Cup final

In the end, this loss might come as a minor relief for Pakistan. It can only be an indictment of the format and schedule of the tournament that a side could play so poorly and still be one game from a shot at the title. Pakistan, barely able to cling a performance together, finally had their flickering hopes of an unlikely Asia Cup triumph extinguished by a Bangladesh team that, on the day, simply did what needed doing with ruthless efficiency, dispatching Pakistan by 37 runs, and securing a final date with India. They had two men at opposite ends of their careers to thank for it, an epic rescue act from Mushfiqur Rahim followed by Mustafizur Rahman’s figures of four for 42 sending Sarfraz Ahmed’s men crashing out of a tournament they never really took off in. For all of the strides Bangladesh have made in limited-overs cricket over the years, this was still an exceptionally gallant effort from Mashrafe Mortaza’s men. They came into the match having just learned their talisman Shakib al Hasan would play no further part in the tournament. Tamim Iqbal hadn’t been available since the first game. Mashrafe himself would be limited halfway into the Pakistan innings, having injured himself taking a screamer at midwicket to effect arguably the most important dismissal of the match - that of Shoaib Malik. This was no full-strength Bangladesh, but they made up for it with calculated, intelligent cricket, and an understanding that, in these conditions, they could play to their strengths. Chasing 240, Pakistan were slight favourites at the halfway mark, but Bangladesh gave them a taste of their own medicine, reducing them to 18 for 3 in the first four overs. Mustafizur was brilliant in the early overs, arguably the only one all tournament to get the new ball to move around occasionally. His variations were judged to perfection; he seemed to understand the Pakistan batsman’s psyche better than they did themselves. Both Babar Azam and Sarfraz failed to read the cutters, paying the price with their wickets and exposing Pakistan’s famously fragile middle order within the first five overs.................. It might have looked a bit shy at that point, but Mustafizur and the spinners were about to take over, and ensure Mushfiqur’s efforts wouldn’t go in vain. While they look ahead to the ultimate glory against India, the recriminations in Pakistan could be severe indeed. Source: Cricinfo