Bangladesh beat Pakistan to enter Asia Cup final
Abu Dhabi, Sep 27: Bangladesh pulled off an upset, defeating Pakistan by 37 runs in the Super Four match to enter the final of the Asia Cup here on Wednesday.
In the summit clash, Bangladesh will face India.
Defending 239, Bangladesh bowled tight line with left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman leading the pack with 4-43. Mehidy Hasan also contributed with two wickets.
Right from the start, Bangladesh bowlers made their intentions clear, picking up two wickets in first two overs.
Apart from Imam-ul-Haq (83) no other batsmen stood up to the occasion and went back cheaply. Shoiab Malik (30) and Asif Ali (31) tried to contribute but could not stay for long at the crease and thus dismissed when needed the most.
Tail-ender batsman Shaheen Afridi (14) then tried to take Pakistan out of troubled waters but failed and Pakistan only managed to score 202/9 in their allotted 50 overs.
For Bangladesh, apart from Rahman and Hasan, Rubel Hossain, Mahmudullah and Soumya Sarkar took one wicket each.
Earlier, Bangladesh posted 239, thanks to some brilliant batting from Mushfiqur Rahim (99) and Mohammad Mithun (60).
After losing couple of early wickets, Rahim and Mithun played sensibly and helped their team to post a respectable total. Towards the end Mahmudullah (25) also contributed.
For Pakistan, Junaid Khan took four wickets while Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali took two wickets each.
Brief scores: Bangladesh 239/10 (Mushfiqur Rahim 99l Junaid Khan 4/19) against Pakistan Imam-ul-Haq 83, Mohammad Mithun 4/43)
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BJP to retain Assam, win Bengal; NDA to emerge strong in TN, Kerala, Pondy: Pradhan
Bengaluru (PTI): Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said the BJP would retain power in Assam, while expressing confidence that there would be a change of government in West Bengal, citing people’s continued faith in PM Narendra Modi and the party.
Asserting that NDA is likely to return to power in the union territory of Puducherry, he expressed confidence that the BJP-led alliance would emerge strongly in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The counting of votes for all five Assemblies—West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and Assam—will take place on May 4.
Polls were conducted in a single phase in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu, while West Bengal saw two phases of polling on April 23 and 29.
On April 9, Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry went to the polls, while Tamil Nadu voted on April 23.
“Beyond exit polls, all of us who worked in the election campaign this time in the five states (four states and one union territory) are confident that the BJP will retain power in Assam and that, for the first time in a long period, West Bengal is heading for a major change,” Pradhan said.
Speaking to reporters, the union education minister said there is significant anti-incumbency against the TMC government in West Bengal due to alleged misgovernance, appeasement politics, and corruption.
“The people of West Bengal are reposing their faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the policies of the BJP and the leadership of the state BJP. I am confident there will be a change of government in West Bengal,” he added.
Pradhan said that, in all probability, the NDA (All India N R Congress–BJP alliance) will retain power in Puducherry.
“In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, I think we are all confident that our alliance will emerge strongly,” he added.
Several exit polls on Wednesday predicted a thumping victory for the BJP in Assam and a clear edge for the party over the ruling TMC in West Bengal, while projecting a return of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu and a comeback by the Congress-led UDF in Kerala after 10 years.
However, some pollsters predicted a big win for the TMC in West Bengal and a hung House in Tamil Nadu, with actor-turned-politician Vijay’s TVK emerging as a spoiler for the DMK. Almost all forecasts indicated a return to power for the AINRC-led NDA government in Puducherry.
