Bangladesh entered the record books after winning its first Test series against Pakistan, when they registered victory during the second match at Rawalpindi. Experts and fans of the Pakistan team faced a lot of sadness owing to the manner in which Bangladesh outplayed a team that had never lost to them in Test cricket or the more illustrative red ball format.
Bangladesh’s third test match with Pakistan saw the visitors chase down a target of 172 runs on the second day for the loss of 6 wickets. This also meant that Bangladesh achieved their first robust win against Pakistan when they swept the series by 10 wickets after white-washing them 2-0 in a best of three series. “Bhai tumhein aata hi nahi hai tumse hota hi nahi hai (you don’t know how to do it you are not able to do it you are not able what should I say youi? how should I say?), had said former Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad on a video he posted on X.
The most remarkable aspect of the victory for Bangladesh is that they achieved such victory after having been down 26 for 6 in their first batting which shrunk Pakistan’s first innings lead to merely 12 runs.
It was chronicled in their rookie pacers Hasan Mahmud and a Nahid Rana. The two combined to take nine wickets and also bowl out the hosts for a mere 172. This set a target of 185 for the visitors. They did it with ease on the last day of the match to give joy to the fans back while the country is under political developments.
‘The political condition of their country is not so good. They came, practised in your backyard and said ‘ami tomake bhalobasi’ and brushed all of you, Soeshzad, on the teams unsatisfactory performance.
‘What (brilliant) cricket they have played, more how effectively they have ruled, in what manner did they batted, bowled. The toughness that is required in Test cricket, their batters were able to show and teach you that. Their bowlers have taught you, what disciplined bowling is’, said the shehzad.
For the first test played at the same venue, Pakistan lost the first test and then brought out a green top wicket for their pace bowlers which Khurram Shehzad made hay of in the first innings of Bangladesh when he took six wickets. But Litton Das’s century and Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s partnership led the recovery for Bangladesh.
“The only thing you did was to whine about the pitch. The same pitch looked to be a flat track when the Bangladesh side was out batting. But when you were batting and your batsmen were batting them, if at all, it was on the backfoot, especially against their fast bowler Rana,’’ said Shehzad.
“This win will be quite encouraging , especially for the fans of Bangladesh, a time when their country is facing tough times. This will bring happiness for them”.
