Asia Cup 2018: The best moments in the history of Asia Cup

4. Final between Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2012:

Bangladesh brought an end to the domination of the India and Sri Lanka teams who featured in the previous three Asia Cup finals. The hosts beat both the teams to make it to the final alongside Pakistan. It was also the final time a team other than India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka appeared in an Asia Cup final.

Bangladesh won the crucial toss and elected to bowl first in a tournament that witnessed teams chasing totals often. They nearly got better off Pakistan in the opening game of the tournament. Chasing 263 to win, the hosts were cruising at 224/5 in the 44th over. However, they ended up losing the last five wickets for 17 runs in only 29 balls. The home team bowlers did a good job in the final to keep Pakistan down to 236/9.

Tamim Iqbal’s fourth straight fifty of the tournament scoring 60 as Bangladesh raced towards the title. Shakib Al Hasan scored a 72-ball 68 and needed further 67 runs off 46 balls with six wickets in hand. Nasir Hossain, Shakib and Mushfiqur all got out in space of 17 deliveries leaving the hosts in tatters. Mashrafe Mortaza then came up with a 9-ball 18 to bring down the equation to 19 off 14 balls. Mahmudullah held the key for the hosts who needed nine from the last over with three wickets in hand.

The tension increased when the bowler Aizaz Cheema when the Riyad ran into the bowler attempting for a second run. Next two balls yielded only a leg-bye but Mahmudullah snatched three runs on the 4th delivery. Cheema kept the dangerous Mahmudullah off strike for the final two deliveries when they needed four by cleaning up Abdur Razzaq on the penultimate delivery. Cheema conceded only one run on the last ball as Pakistan won the Asia Cup for the first time after 12 years with a 2-run win.