Hammad
Bangladesh Achieves Historic Test Victory Over Pakistan with Dominant Spin Performance
Bangladesh’s spin duo, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan, were instrumental in leading their team to a historic victory over Pakistan, marking Bangladesh’s first-ever win against Pakistan in five-day cricket. The remarkable 10-wicket triumph occurred during the first Test match held in Rawalpindi on Sunday.
Mehidy claimed 4 wickets for 21 runs, while Shakib took 3 wickets for 44 runs, sparking a dramatic collapse for Pakistan on the fifth day of the match. Pakistan was bowled out for 146 runs in 55.5 overs, leaving Bangladesh with a modest target of 30 runs to chase.
Bangladesh’s opening batsmen, Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam, made quick work of the target, reaching it in just 6.3 overs. Zakir, who scored 15 runs, struck the winning boundary, while Shadman remained unbeaten on 9 runs. The victory was celebrated enthusiastically by the Bangladesh squad, marking a significant milestone in their cricketing history.
In Pakistan’s second innings, Mohammad Rizwan was the top scorer with 51 runs, including six boundaries. However, by lunch, Pakistan was already in trouble, with a score of 108-6. Despite a crowd of nearly 5,000 hoping for a draw, Mehidy bowled Rizwan and then dismissed Mohammad Ali for a duck in consecutive overs, sealing Pakistan’s fate.
This victory adds to Bangladesh’s growing list of Test wins, which now includes triumphs over Australia, England, and Pakistan. The Rawalpindi win is only their sixth victory in 143 Test matches. Pakistan, who had declared their first innings at 448-6, saw Bangladesh respond strongly with a score of 565, their highest total against Pakistan in Tests.
The match took a turn as small cracks began to appear on the pitch after four days of relatively unresponsive conditions. Bangladesh’s spinners exploited these cracks effectively, while Pakistan’s decision to omit a frontline spinner proved costly. Pakistan’s batting lineup, including key players like Babar Azam and Shan Masood, struggled, with Azam scoring just 22 and Masood 14.
‘We have to do better Then Bangladesh’
Pakistan’s first innings deficit of 117 runs put them on the back foot from the start of their second innings, which began at 23-1. They quickly lost Masood to pace bowler Hasan Mahmud in the second over. Babar Azam, who survived a first-ball chance after wicketkeeper Liton Das dropped a catch, was eventually bowled by Nahid Rana.
Shakib Al Hasan, despite controversy over his political affiliations, played a crucial role by dismissing Saud Shakeel and Abdullah Shafique before lunch. Pakistan’s middle order crumbled further, with Agha Salman falling for a first-ball duck to Mehidy, leaving Pakistan in disarray at 105-6. Mehidy then wrapped up the innings by taking the wickets of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.
Historically, Pakistan had dominated their Test encounters with Bangladesh, winning 12 out of 13 matches, with six victories by an innings and one draw. However, this defeat marked a significant shift in the balance between the two teams.
The second and final Test of the series, which is part of the World Test Championship (WTC), will also take place in Rawalpindi starting on Friday. Following this defeat, Pakistan has dropped to eighth place in the nine-team WTC table, while Bangladesh has risen to sixth.
In the post-match interview, Pakistan’s captain Shan Masood reflected on the unexpected outcome. He acknowledged that the match did not unfold as anticipated and cited the loss of half a day to rain as a contributing factor. Masood emphasized the need for the team to learn from their mistakes and improve in future matches.
Masood also commented on the pitch, noting that they had expected it to offer more assistance to their fast bowlers. He admitted that some tactical decisions could have been different but praised Bangladesh’s bowling attack for their effective use of the conditions.
Pakistan won 12 of the previous 13 Tests against Bangladesh, six by an innings, with one draw.
The second and final Test will also be played at Rawalpindi from Friday, with the series part of the World Test Championship (WTC).
Pakistan slumped to eighth in the nine-team WTC table after their defeat, with Bangladesh climbing to sixth.
