TTS Report :
In a high-stakes display of grit and raw talent, Pakistan’s rising star Maaz Sadaqat turned the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium into his personal playground on Friday, orchestrating a dominant 128-run victory to pull Pakistan level in the ODI series.
Sadaqat’s performance—a rare “double-threat” masterclass—saw him first dismantle the Bangladesh bowling attack with the bat before returning to extinguish their chase with the ball.
The tone was set from the first ball. Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s gamble to bowl first backfired spectacularly as Sadaqat and Sahibzada Farhan ignited a 103-run opening stand in a mere 77 deliveries. Sadaqat was particularly lethal, carving out a career-high 75 off 46 balls, an innings punctuated by five towering sixes that left the host bowlers searching for answers.
While a controversial and “bizarre” run-out of Salman Ali Agha (64)—who was dismissed while sportsmanlike trying to assist the bowler—sparked a late-innings collapse from 122/3 to 274 all out, the total proved to be more than a psychological mountain for the hosts.
A two-hour monsoon intervention revised the target to 243 in 32 overs, but the “Green Shirts” ensured the home fans had little to cheer for. After an initial tremor left Bangladesh at 15/3, a brief, defiant counterattack by Litton Das (41) and Towhid Hridoy threatened to make a game of it.
Enter Sadaqat. Proving his “golden arm” is as dangerous as his blade, he broke the threatening 58-run partnership by removing Das, sparking a total capitulation. As the middle order evaporated, the sheer pace of Haris Rauf proved too much for the tail. The duo finished with three wickets apiece, supported by a disciplined opening spell from skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Bangladesh’s pursuit ended in a whimper at 114, leaving the series perfectly poised at 1-1. While the match will be remembered for the scoring records and the weather, the headline remains the emergence of Maaz Sadaqat as a genuine match-winner. Pakistan has not just leveled the series; they have reclaimed the psychological edge heading into the decider.
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