Bangladesh wrapped up the three-match series against Pakistan with a nervy seven-run victory in Dhaka, and the outcome rested squarely on Jaker Ali’s measured 55 from 48 deliveries. Sent in at 28 for 4, the right-hander steadied the innings, added 53 alongside Mahedi Hasan, and dragged his side to 133 for 9 – a target that proved just about enough.
Plan B from the top
Before walking out, captain Litton Das quietly lowered the projected total. “The captain had given me a separate plan after we lost wickets quickly,” Jaker explained. “We had come into the game knowing that the conditions wouldn’t allow for a high-scoring match. I thought it was a 155-160 wicket, but the captain told me to go for 140.” That new ceiling framed every decision that followed.
The powerplay damage
Pakistan’s stand-in skipper Salman Agha had inserted Bangladesh on a surface offering variable bounce. Four wickets fell inside the first six overs, leaving Jaker and Mahedi with a simple brief: stop the slide first, accelerate later. Mahedi obliged, landing two clean sixes and two fours in a lively 33 from 25. “[Mahedi] played a very important innings. When he started to attack their bowlers, I was playing a supporting role,” Jaker said.
Middle-order rebuild
Mahedi’s departure at 81 for 5 exposed the tail, yet Jaker, promoted to No. 5, stayed calm. “I have always batted at No. 7 since my age-group days, so I know how to bat with the tail,” he noted. Five sixes – most of them straight or over midwicket – pushed the total into competitive territory, although he was displeased not to clear the ropes off the final ball: “If I had hit a six off the last ball, we would have given them that target.”
Role clarity matters
The promotion was no surprise. “I knew well ahead that I would bat at No. 5. I was mentally prepared,” he said. Working with batting coach Mohammad Salahuddin, he has tried to filter out noise and focus on impact: “I only count match-winning runs. The rest doesn’t register with me.”
Pakistan’s faltering reply
At 47 for 7 inside 12 overs, Pakistan looked buried. The new-ball pair found sharp movement, and a two-paced pitch forced mistimed strokes. Yet all-rounder Faheem Ashraf mounted a late assault, cracking 51 from 32 and reducing the ask to nine off four balls. A dropped chance threatened to undo Bangladesh’s earlier work, but Shamim Hossain clung on at deep midwicket to remove Ahmed Daniyal and end the chase at 126.
“This is usually how T20 cricket happens. We were not too surprised that they fought back,” Jaker reflected afterwards. “We made some mistakes in fielding but look at the catch Shamim took at the end. This is how you win tight games.”
Series significance
With the win, Bangladesh take an unassailable 2-0 lead, allowing scope to rotate in the dead rubber. More importantly, the side continues to uncover depth in the middle order – an area that has previously wobbled under pressure.
Brief numbers
Bangladesh 133-9 (Jaker 55, Mahedi 33)
Pakistan 126 (Faheem 51)
Bangladesh won by 7 runs; lead series 2-0.
Perspective, not hype
It was hardly a flawless performance – the hosts were loose in the field and fell short of even their revised 140 mark. Yet the ability to scrap after a disastrous start, and to hold nerve in the closing overs, offers encouraging signs ahead of a packed white-ball calendar.
For Jaker, the lessons remain simple: set a clear target, bat to it, finish the job. Match-winning runs, and nothing else, count.
