Bangladesh achieved a historic triumph after outplaying Pakistan in the first Test of the two-match series held at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Co. outplayed the hosts by 10 wickets on the final day of the match. The win marked their first against Pakistan in 14 encounters in the longest format of the game.
After being put to bat first, Pakistan declared at 448, with Saud Shakeel (141) and Mohammad Rizwan (171*) scoring centuries. Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud emerged as standout bowlers for Bangladesh, who have claimed two wickets each.
Later, Bangladesh batters showcased remarkable resilience from the beginning of their opening innings and helped their side achieve a mammoth total of 565 runs. Mushfiqur Rahim was the standout batter for Bangladesh, scoring 191 runs with the help of 22 boundaries and one maximum. In addition, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Liton das, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz provided significant contributions with stunning half-centuries. Naseem Shah, who returned to action after a long hiatus, was the pick of bowlers for the hosts, claiming three wickets for 93 runs. In addition, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Khurram Shahzad, and Mohammad Ali also proved their worth by picking up two wickets each.
In their second innings, Pakistan batters struggled from the start and were all out for just 146 runs before being bowled out on the final day. Wicketkeeper-batter Rizwan, who scored an unbeaten career-best 171, showcased his prowess in Pakistan’s second innings as well, scoring 51 off just 80 deliveries, including six boundaries before being dismissed by Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
The Bangladeshi fast bowlers did a good job dismantling Pakistan’s top order, subsequently paving the way for the spinners to take control. Miraz, an off-spinner, and left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan together picked up seven wickets, finishing with impressive figures of 4/21 and 3/44, respectively. In addition, the pace trio of Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, and Nahid Rana each claimed a wicket, playing a key role in Pakistan’s collapse in the third innings of the game.
Close to the tea interval on Day 5, Bangladesh openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam were unbeaten with scores of 15 and 9 runs, respectively. The tourists successfully reached the 30-run target in seven overs without losing a wicket. This 10-wicket win over Pakistan marked only Bangladesh’s seventh win in an away Test match. It was also their first victory since their success over New Zealand in Mount Maunganui in January 2022.
