Bangladesh registered a historic feat on Tuesday by beating Pakistan in the second Test to register their first-ever series win over them. It was another spirited show from Bangladesh as, at one stage, they were six down for just 26 in the first innings and from there, they pulled off an incredible comeback to pin Pakistan in their own backyard.
Veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan hit the winning runs as Bangladesh beat Pakistan by six wickets to complete a 2-0 whitewash in Rawalpindi. The visitors won the opening Test by ten wickets, their first-ever red-ball victory over Pakistan.
Chasing a 185-run target, openers Zakir Hasan (40) and Shadman Islam (24) set the platform for Bangladesh, while skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (38) and Mominul Haque (34) chipped in with useful cameos as Bangladesh chased down the 185-run victory target with more than a session to spare.
Bad light hampered the play on Day 3, forcing early stumps as Bangladesh resumed Day 5 on 42/0. They lost openers Zakir and Shadman early in the morning session, but the platform was already set for them to make history.
Shanto fell after the lunch break, and Mominul threw away his wicket, but veterans Mushfiqur Rahim, who made 22 not out, and Shakib Al Hasan guided Bangladesh home without any drama.
The cricketer fraternity on social media reacted after Pakistan’s humiliating defeat at home as some fans even called it the demise of Pakistan cricket, who were once a formidable unit.
This is only Bangladesh’s third away series win in 33 attempts, having also beaten the West Indies in 2009 and Zimbabwe three years ago.
Pakistan cricket downfall continues
Pakistan cricket team is going through a lean patch, which started with the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they failed to qualify for the semifinals, and then things went downhill for them in the T20 World Cup earlier this year, where they were eliminated from the group stage.
Bangladesh put a final nail in the coffin for them with a Test series win. They extended Pakistan’s miserable home record in tests to 10 matches without a win. Pakistan’s last home win was in December 2021 against South Africa at Rawalpindi. Shan Masood has suffered a second consecutive clean sweep since he was elevated to the Test skipper last year, having lost to Australia 3-0.
