Bangladesh secure historic Test series win

Pakistan v Bangladesh, 1st Test, Rawalpindi, Scorecard

Pakistan v Bangladesh, 2nd Test, Rawalpindi, Scorecard

A thoroughly dominating performance by Bangladesh over two weeks saw them sweeping the Test series against Pakistan 2-0, despite a rain-affected start to the second Test.

The 10-wicket victory in the first match was Bangladesh's maiden Test win over Pakistan. And a repeat of the performance in the second solidified a historic achievement by the team.

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It is also Bangladesh's first Test series win (two matches or more) against a team other than Zimbabwe and West Indies.

The victory has also given Bangladesh a boost in the ICC World Test Championship standings, catapulting them to No.4 with a points percentage of 45.83, jumping over England.

ICC World Test Championship Standings 2023-25

Beginning the fifth day on 42/0, requiring 143 more runs to win, Bangladesh got off to a steady start, inching towards the modest target without too many risks. They added another 80 runs in the morning session but lost both their openers in a space of 12 runs.

Despite the wickets, the experienced duo of Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque combined to put up a 57-run stand to keep the visitors on track. Shanto was dismissed soon after Lunch on 38 and Mominul too perished on 34 as Bangladesh stuttered a bit at the end.

However, the veteran pair of Mushfiqur Rahim (22**)* and Shakib Al Hasan (21*) persisted and got Bangladesh over the line without further hiccups.

Earlier in the Test, after opting to field first, another fantastic performance saw the Tigers bowling out Pakistan for a modest 274 runs. Despite the fifties from captain Shan Masood and opener Saim Ayub, Mehidy Hasan Miraz's five-wicket haul combined with a three-for from Taskin Ahmed ensured the first innings total didn't go beyond reach.

Pakistan were brilliant with the ball as well, Khurram Shahzad led the fightback with a six-wicket haul. Despite Bangladesh fighting back from 26/6, the hosts gained a slim lead of 12 runs.

"When me and Miraz [were] batting, the credit actually goes to Miraz, because the way he faced 20 balls, and [if he] hits five or six fours, the game will be easier," Litton Das said in the post-match press conference.

"We just had conversations like this. They had good momentum. We had to kill that momentum. And let's see what happens next. And after lunch, we just felt free and just went and batted."

However, the Bangladesh bowlers were not done. Two more heroes stepped up for the visitors - 24-year-old Hasan Mahmud and 21-year-old Nahid Rana, who took a combined nine wickets between them as Pakistan perished for just 172 runs in the second innings, setting Bangladesh a target of 185 with four sessions of play left in the game.

Poor weather and bad light stopped play early on Day 4 but only ended up delaying the inevitable as the visitors wrapped up the Test with six wickets to spare.

Skipper Shanto reserved special praise for the fast bowling duo after the game and hailed the win as one of Bangladesh's best ever.

"[Mahmud and Rana] were very impressive. Most important was their work ethic," Shanto said. "The way they did their work in the recent past. That's why they got the results. They wanted to win. That was very important for our team."

"The emotion I felt is hard to put in words, because this achievement, I personally feel, is one of the best moments for Bangladesh cricket.

"And when Mushfiq [Mushfiqur Rahim] and Shakib [Al Hasan] were batting, all of us from the dressing room were wanting that these two should finish the match. They have been playing for Bangladesh for so long, they have won many matches for us."