Pakistan’s batting lineup crumbled, managing only 146 runs before being dismissed. The Bangladeshi pace attack effectively dismantled Pakistan’s top order, setting the stage for the spinners to dominate, AP reported.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz, an off-spinner, and Shakib Al Hasan, a left-arm spinner who previously served as a lawmaker under the government of ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, combined to take seven wickets.
This remarkable performance marked Bangladesh’s first-ever Test win against Pakistan in 14 encounters, making it a historic moment for the team.
As the tea interval approached, Bangladesh’s opening batsmen Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam remained undefeated, scoring 15 and 9 runs respectively. The team reached a total of 30 runs without losing a wicket, securing only their seventh victory in an away Test match and their first since triumphing over New Zealand at Mount Maunganui in January 2022.
Despite declaring at 448-6, Pakistan found themselves trailing by 117 runs in the first innings. The team resumed play at 23-1, still 94 runs behind, but was ultimately dismissed by a well-disciplined combination of pace and spin bowling from the Bangladeshi side.
Mohammad Rizwan, who scored an unbeaten career-best 171 in the first innings, once again top-scored with 51 runs. However, many of his teammates fell victim to impulsive shots, which were exacerbated by the aggressive field placements employed by Bangladesh’s captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto.
Miraz and Shakib were the standout performers with the ball, taking seven wickets between them. Mehidy finished with impressive figures of 4-21, while Shakib claimed 3-44. The pace trio of Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, and Nahid Rana chipped in with a wicket apiece, contributing to Pakistan’s downfall.
The morning session proved to be a turning point in the match, as Bangladesh tightened their grip on the game.
Pakistan struggled to cope with the pressure, losing five crucial wickets and limping to a score of 108-6. The tone was set early when Hasan Mahmud found the edge of captain Shan Masood’s bat, dismissing him for 14 in the second over of the day, with the wicketkeeper completing the catch.
Masood clashed with on-field umpire Richard Kettleborough for the second time in the match, following a controversial caught-behind decision in the first innings. Television replays, however, showed that the left-hander had indeed edged the ball after Bangladesh’s successful referral.
Hasan nearly dismissed Babar Azam for a second duck in the game, but wicketkeeper Litton Das dropped a straightforward catch on the first ball Babar faced. Babar then looked to counterattack, hitting three boundaries before fast bowler Rana (1-30) claimed his wicket when he reached 22.
Pakistan’s middle-order batters faltered, recklessly losing their wickets to spinners Shakib and Mehidy.
First-innings centurion Saud Shakeel, attempting an unnecessary extravagant shot against Shakib, was stumped for a duck – the first time in his brief Test career.
Abdullah Shafique also lost patience, playing an overly ambitious shot off Shakib, which resulted in a top-edge catch at point. Mehidy soon followed by finding the outside edge of Salman Ali Agha’s bat in his second over.
Bangladesh maintained the pressure on Pakistan after the break, with Mehidy taking three wickets post-lunch. Rizwan, just after completing his half-century, under-edged a sweep off the offspinner back onto his stumps, and No. 11 Mohammad Ali was trapped leg before wicket.
The defeat extended Pakistan’s winless streak in home red-ball cricket to five losses and four draws since their last victory against South Africa at Rawalpindi in 2021.
The second Test will also be played in Rawalpindi, starting next Friday, after being relocated from Karachi due to ongoing construction at the National Bank Stadium.
