Paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed four victims as Pakistan beat Bangladesh by five wickets to sneak into the T20 World Cup semi-finals while India sealed their spot atop their group with an emphatic win over Zimbabwe.
Afridi took 4-22 as Bangladesh posted 8-127, with Pakistan making 5-128 to win Sunday’s Adelaide Oval encounter with 11 balls to spare.
Pakistan finished runner-up to India in Group Two. New Zealand will take on Pakistan in Sydney on Wednesday and India will be favoured to beat England in Adelaide in the other semi-final on Thursday.
Earlier on Sunday, South Africa blew their chance of advancing with a shock 13-run loss to the Netherlands.
Victory would have booked the Proteas a semi-final berth but instead their loss gifted the winner of Pakistan’s clash against Bangladesh a place in the last four.
“We watched the game and for us it was a very good result,” Afridi said.
“It’s not in our hands, that result … just focused on our game, but it was good the Netherlands won that game.”
Afridi cashed in for Pakistan with hostile fast bowling as only opener Najmul Shanto (54 from 48 balls) weathered the storm, as the sole Bangladeshi to pass 24 runs.
Shanto struck seven fours but the Bangladesh innings wobbled from the 11th over when Soumya Sarkar (20) and captain Shakib Al Hasan (duck) were dismissed by spinner Shadab Khan (2-30) on consecutive deliveries.
Those wickets triggered a slide of 6-36 in eight overs as Bangladesh lost all momentum.
Shaheen Afridi of Pakistan celebrates after taking the wicket of Mosaddek Hossain of Bangladesh. (Photo by Mark Brake-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Pakistan made light work of their chase after Mohammad Rizwan was dropped on the third ball of the innings, with wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan turfing a regulation edge from Taskin Ahmed’s bowling.
Rizwan hit the next ball for six with a top-edged hook en route to scoring 32 from as many deliveries.
Rizwan and his captain Babar Azam (25 from 33 balls) notched a composed half-century opening partnership in the 10th over.
The pair were soon after dismissed in a five-ball span, leaving Mohammad Haris (31 from 18) and Shan Masood (24 not out from 14) to guide Pakistan to victory.
Suryakumar Yadav bats for India against Zimbabwe at Melbourne Cricket Ground. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
A late burst from Suryakumar Yadav powered a slow-starting India to 5-186 against Zimbabwe. Yadav lit up the MCG on Sunday night with a scintillating unbeaten 61 to put India into a commanding position after they had slumped to 4-101 in the 14th over.
The classy right-hander brought up his 50 from only 23 balls, before hitting an extraordinary six off the final delivery of the innings to whip the crowd of more than 80,000 into a frenzy.
India were already guaranteed to qualify for the semi-finals but needed to defeat Zimbabwe for their fourth win of the tournament to finish ahead of rivals Pakistan in Group 2.
Opener KL Rahul hit a blazing 51 from 35 balls before he was out to the wily Sikandar Raza, falling just short of clearing the rope for his fourth six.
Zimbabwe’s Ryan Burl pulled off a contender for catch of the tournament when he dived a full stretch to dismiss Indian danger man Rishabh Pant.
It was Pant’s first game of the World Cup, with India determined to give him a run before the semi-finals, but the explosive left-hander was out for just three following Burl’s heroics near the rope at the Punt Rd end of the ground.
Sean Williams was Zimbabwe’s only multiple wicket-taker, finishing with figures of 2-9.
The Africans were never in the hunt after slumping to 5-36 before being bowled out for 115 inside 18 pvers.
Off-spinner Ravi Ashwin (3-22) cleaned up the tail after Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya claimed two wickets apiece.
© AAP
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