.svg){kind=small}
Pakistan take on Bangladesh at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore in the first Super Fours match of the Asia Cup 2023. Pakistan will be looking to continue their good run of form and they have the batting and bowling line-up to do so. If they bat first, they will need to score a big total and then their bowlers will need to be disciplined and restrict Bangladesh to a below-par score The Gaddafi Stadium is a good batting wicket and the batters are expected to score runs. However, the bowlers will also get some help from the pitch, especially in the early overs.
Pakistan and Bangladesh have played each other a total of 37 times in ODI cricket and it is Pakistan who are ahead with 32 wins while Bangladesh have just five victories.
Well, it has been a tale of Pakistan and their fast bowling today. Bangladesh batters no point in that innings looked like they were equipped to face this quality of bowling even on conditions this good for batting. Despite there being no swing and seam what did them was the sheer pace. Haris Rauf is one of the best bowlers in the white ball game and will become arguably one of the greatest if he continues this kind of performance regularly and his body holds up. Right from the ball one he has been bowling at 145 KPH and thereabouts. There was a brief period when Musfiqur and Shakib were batting they were giving hope that Bangladesh would post something around 300 but once Shakib went the batting fell apart. Once Musfiqur played that ugly swipe it was a question of when. There is not much to say about will if Bangladesh will be able to defend this. It is a straight no it is a matter of personal milestones and getting a good Net Run Rate for The Men in Green as this wicket is still excellent for batting
