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Pakistan post 9 wicket win

Pakistan mauled Bangladesh by nine wickets to sail into the Independence Cup final.

Put in to bat, Bangladesh were bundled out for 134 in 39.3 overs in a match reduced to a 41overs-a-side contest with dense fog delaying the start of the proceedings.

Bolstered by an unbeaten 73 by opener Saeed Anwar and 37 by Aamir Sohail, the Pakistanis coasted to an easy victory in 24.2 overs, losing just one wicket.

An asking rate of 3.29 would not have brought about any problem for Pakistan. Afridi, who did not seem quite at ease in the middle, left at the score of 43, taken by a brilliant running catch by Sanwar off Shariuddin for 11. Sohail joined the free stroking Anwar and the two made batting seem easy on this perfect pitch. They smashed the loose balls all around the field to hoist the team's 100 in 17 overs.

Anwar, in the process, got his 21st half-century in one-day internationals, and remained unbeaten on 73 with 13 delectable hits to the fence while Sohail had six boundaries in a 61-ball innings for his 37.

This was Bangladesh's fifth straight defeat against Pakistan.

The best of three matches final between India and Pakistan is slated for January 14, 16 and 19.

India defeated Pakistan by 18 runs in a thrilling tie on Sunday.

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