Jaker Ali proved his worth in the middle order with a match-winning knock of 55 off 48 in a tough condition in Bangladesh鈥檚 second T20I against Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Tuesday.
Bangladesh, who have already sealed the series by winning the first two games of the series, will eye a clean sweep when the two teams face off in the third match at the same venue today.
Jaker came to the crease at a time when Bangladesh started to crumble. The 27-year-old batter knew his tasks as captain Liton Das gave him a clear message prior to his entry.
鈥楾he captain had given me a separate plan after we lost wickets quickly,鈥� said Jaker.
鈥榃e had come into the game knowing that the conditions wouldn鈥檛 allow for a high-scoring match. I thought it was a 155-160 wicket, but the captain told me to go for 140.鈥�
Jaker stated that that particular goal helped him to build his batting.
He said, 鈥業 think we were seven runs short. Had I hit a six off the last ball, we would have given them that target. I think this is a good approach, where I know my goal.鈥�
Jaker also had to endure a different challenge of holding his shots in a difficult phase. After losing four wickets for just 29 runs in the powerplay, he and Mahedi Hasan helped Bangladesh with a fifty-run partnership to rebuild.
Jaker took a backseat when Mahedi was playing his shots. At one point, Jaker had just 13 runs from the first 18 deliveries he faced.
But Jaker had time given the nature of the pitch and their particular goal of reaching 140 in 20 overs.
Still, after Mahedi鈥檚 departure, Jaker had to play with the tail as Shamim Hossain survived just four balls.
Jaker said that he was used to batting with the tail-enders since his early days.
鈥業 had a hundred in the U-17 [while batting with the tail]. I had a 71-run partnership. So I am used to it, and I don鈥檛 think about it much,鈥� said Jaker.
So, he then ensured his stay in the crease would help the team. He hit five sixes; four of those came after the start of the 15th over.
This was the joint highest number of balls (48) Jaker faced in his entire T20 career. As a finisher, he doesn鈥檛 get the opportunity to play as many deliveries as a top-order or middle-order batter.
Still, this was the lowest strike rate of him where he scored at least 40 runs in his T20 career. That proves how tough it was to bat at the wicket, especially in the first innings.
The nature of the Mirpur wicket is already under the scanner in this series again. As far as the batting of T20s is concerned, these types of wickets will help little.
But at the same time, it should give some confidence to the likes of Jaker that however tough the condition will be, one should find a way.
