Vaibhav Tripathi in Dubai
On what appeared to be a batting paradise in Rawalpindi, Michael Bracewell wove a masterful spell, ensnaring four key wickets to shackle Bangladesh to a modest 236/9 in their allotted 50 overs. Though the chase seemed straightforward, Bangladesh jolted New Zealand early with two quick breakthroughs, giving Kiwi fans a slight scare. However, Rachin Ravindra’s elegantly constructed century, complemented by Tom Latham’s composed fifty, steadied the ship, guiding New Zealand to a comfortable five-wicket win. With this victory, New Zealand have secured their spot in the semi-finals alongside India from Group A, while Bangladesh and hosts Pakistan bow out of the tournament.
Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana ignited Bangladesh’s hopes with a fiery opening spell, rattling New Zealand by sending the in-form Will Young and the ever-reliable Kane Williamson back to the dugout. With the opposition reeling, the stage was set for a spirited defence of their total. However, Bangladesh’s grip on the game loosened as their spinners faltered, both in execution and strategy. Mehidy Hasan Miraz leaked runs without posing a threat. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto’s reluctance to introduce Rishad Hossain early proved costly—a stark contrast to the previous game, where his impact was decisive. As Ravindra and Devon Conway settled in, Shanto’s persistence with Mehidy instead of unleashing Rishad allowed New Zealand to claw their way back into the contest.
Mustafizur Rahman revived Bangladesh’s hopes by breaking their 57-run stand, but the experienced Latham joined forces with the fluent Ravindra to stitch together a match-defining 129-run partnership. By the time Latham departed, the damage had been done. Glenn Phillips added the finishing touches with a carefree 21 off 28 balls, sealing New Zealand’s semi-final berth with ease.
Bangladesh started their innings on a positive note with the new opening pair of Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Shanto. Both batters looked confident, scoring at a steady rate early on against Matt Henry and the returning Kyle Jamieson. Similar to the previous match, Tanzid played the aggressor, which encouraged Shanto to take on the bowlers as well. Their attacking approach prompted Mitchell Santner to introduce spin in the final over of the powerplay, a move that paid off immediately. Bracewell dismissed Tanzid, who mistimed a fuller delivery towards mid-wicket.
Mehidy attempted to keep the momentum going but fell cheaply to William O’Rourke. Towhid Hridoy, the centurion from the last game, struggled to find his rhythm as Bracewell kept him in check with dot balls. The pressure eventually got the better of Hridoy, leading to his dismissal while trying to break free.
Bangladesh’s middle order then faltered, losing wickets at regular intervals due to the mounting pressure from dot balls. Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah both perished while attempting big shots against Bracewell, who showcased his skill by varying his pace and lengths to claim four wickets. Shanto, alongside Jaker Ali, attempted to stabilise the innings, but the lack of runs continued to be a concern as the innings progressed.
After reaching his half-century, Shanto fell in the 37th over while trying to take on O’Rourke. Rishad provided some late fireworks, but his attempt to go big off Henry resulted in a catch to Santner at mid-off. Jaker looked dangerous but struggled to get enough strike, eventually getting run out with just under two overs remaining. As a result, Bangladesh’s innings ended on a subdued note.
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