Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz did the magic with spin, securing a ten-wicket victory against Pakistan in the first Test of the two-match series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday. This marked the first Test victory by Bangladesh over Pakistan ever.
Going into this game, Bangladesh had played Pakistan 13 times in men's Tests and lost every one of those contests. For much of the game, it seemed that the same script would play out in this first Test, with a flat pitch ensuring that a draw was a foregone conclusion.
But Bangladesh had other ideas, bowling out Pakistan for a paltry 146 in the second innings, chasing down 30 quite easily to spark scenes of jubilation and broad smiles in the visitors' dugout. Quite fittingly, Bangladesh's historic Test win came on the day their captain Najmul Hossain Shanto turned 26.
This victory meant that Bangladesh won for the first time ever against Pakistan in men's Test cricket, while it was also the first instance of the hosts losing a Test by ten wickets on their own soil. Pakistan resumed on day five from 23-1, and were trailing Bangladesh by 94 runs.
The flat Rawalpindi pitch had seen just 17 wickets fall in the first four days, but Mehidy's 4-21 and Shakib's 3-44 flipped the script in Bangladesh's astonishing favor. Pakistan lost its captain Shan Masood, 14, in the second over of day five when he was caught behind off Hasan Mahmud.
From 66-2, Pakistan sensationally collapsed to 118/8 as they had no answers to the questions being asked by Shakib and Mehidy bowling in tandem. The otherwise flamboyant Mohammad Rizwan hung around to make 51 and pull them out of trouble, but Pakistan, who didn't field a frontline spinner in the match, eventually finished at 146.
It gave Bangladesh just 30 runs to script a historic victory at Rawalpindi, with Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam completing the modest chase in 6.3 overs. Zakir finished off the chase by sweeping Agha Salman through fine leg, a shot which he and the Bangladesh Test team will remember for a long time.
Brief scores: Pakistan 448/6 decl & 146 (Mohammad Rizwan 51; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 4-21, Shakib Al Hasan 3-44) lost to Bangladesh 565 & 30/0 (Zakir Hasan 15 not out, Shadman Islam nine not out) by ten wickets.
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