Pakistan wins 3rd T20 by 74 runs to prevent series sweep for Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) – Opener Sahibzada Farhan struck a brilliant fifty as Pakistan thrashed Bangladesh by 74 runs in the third and final T20 on Thursday to prevent a series sweep for the hosts.

Farhan’s 63 runs off 41 balls, with six fours and five sixes, helped Pakistan post a respectable 178-7 after it was asked to bat first in the Dhaka suburb of Mirpur.

Pakistan new-ball bowlers Salman Mirza (3-20) and Faheem Ashraf (2-13) then caused the damage as Bangladesh slumped to 41-7 inside the eighth over.

No. 8 batter Mohammad Saifuddin, one of the five changes of the side from the previous match, hit an unbeaten 35 to guide the side past 100.

Bangladesh was out for 104 in 16.4 overs. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz took 2-4.

Bangladesh won the series 2-1. It won the first T20 by seven wickets and the second match by eight runs for its first T20 series win over Pakistan.

Farhan and Saim Ayub (21) gave Pakistan a solid start, unlike the first two matches, with 82 runs in almost eight overs.

Farhan raised his fifty from 29 balls.

Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed (2-22) broke through with the wicket of Ayub, and then dismissed Farhan who holed out to midwicket after trying for a slog-sweep six.

Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who was inconsistent in his first spell, came back to dismiss Mohammad Haris and led the middle overs bowling to stifle Pakistan and finished with 3-38.

Hasan Nawaz had a flurry of sixes before pacer Shoriful Islam baffled him with a slower delivery to end his 17 ball-33.

Mohammad Nawaz hit 27 off 16 and led Pakistan to a strong finish before being removed by Taskin in the last over.

Bangladesh’s chase never took off with five of their top seven batters out for single digits.

Saifuddin helped Bangladesh go past their lowest score of 70 against West Indies in 2016 and eventually 100.