Pakistan survive Mahmudullah last-over heroics to complete 3-0 T20 whitewash against Bangladesh

Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan in action against Bangladesh in the 3rd T20. (Source: Twitter)

Pakistan cricket team completed a 3-0 T20 series whitewash against hosts Bangladesh in Dhaka on Monday (November 22). Chasing a modest 125 to win, Pakistan looked on track for a comfortable win but skipper Mahmudullah came on to bowl the final over with Pakistan needing 8 to win and managed to pick up three wickets to send flutters through the opposition camp.

Mahmudullah dismissed Sarfaraz Ahmed and Haider Ali off the second and third ball off the over while Iftikhar Ahmed smashed the first ball he faced – the fourth of the over for a six to reduce the target to two off two deliveries. Iftikhar was dismissed off the next ball going for another six but Mohammad Nawaz smashed a four off the final ball to seal a closely fought five-wicket win.

“I will give a lot of credit to Bangladesh here. These conditions were quite strange from the UAE but our guys had their confidence high and they executed their skills beautifully,” Pakistan head coach Saqlain Mushtaq said after the win.

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— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 22, 2021

“The boys are trying to tick a lot of boxes, helping each other, enjoying each other's company. It's a great thing for Pakistan that even the boys on the bench are very passionate and they are working very hard and pushing each other,” Saqlain added.

For Pakistan, Haider Ali top-scored with 45 off 38 balls with two sixes and three fours while Mohammad Rizwan scored 40 off 43 balls with one six and two fours.

Earlier, batting first Bangladesh posted 124/7 with Mohammad Naim top-scoring with 47 off 50 balls with two fours and two sixes with Shamim Hossain and Afif Hossain scoring 22 and 20 respectively. Pakistan’s medium pacer Mohammad Wasim claimed 2/15 in four overs while leg-spinner Usman Qadir picked up 2/35 in four overs.