In a display of clinical bowling and tactical aggression, Bangladesh secured a resounding 104-run victory over Pakistan on the final day of the first Test at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. This landmark win marks Bangladesh’s third consecutive Test triumph against Pakistan, following their historic 2-0 series sweep in 2024.
The Scorecard at a Glance:
Bangladesh: 413 & 240/9 dec (Shanto 87, Mominul 56; Hasan 3-52)
Pakistan: 386 & 163 (Fazal 66, Salman 26; Rana 5-40)
Result: Bangladesh won by 104 runs.
Player of the Match: Najmul Hossain Shanto.
The fifth day belonged to young pace sensation Nahid Rana, who tore through the Pakistan batting lineup with a ferocious spell of 5 for 40. Rana’s pace and bounce proved too much for the visitors as he claimed the crucial wickets of skipper Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel, and the dangerous Mohammad Rizwan. He later returned to wrap up the tail, dismissing Noman Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi to seal the victory.
Supporting Rana’s heroics, Taskin Ahmed and Taijul Islam chipped in with two wickets each, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz—who took a fifer in the first innings—claimed one.
Pakistan’s chase was largely a one-man show by debutant Abdullah Fazal. Despite the early loss of Imam-ul-Haq, Fazal showed immense grit, becoming only the sixth Pakistani batter to score half-centuries in both innings of his debut Test. He played aggressively, at one point hitting three consecutive boundaries off Rana.
However, the resistance ended shortly after tea when Taijul Islam produced a delivery that spun sharply to trap Fazal (66) in front of the stumps. Once Fazal departed at 163, the rest of the lineup crumbled under the pressure of the disciplined Bangladeshi attack.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh resumed their second innings with an aggressive intent to set a target. They added 88 runs in just 20 overs, losing six wickets in a frantic morning session. Najmul Hossain Shanto led from the front with a brilliant 87, narrowly missing out on the rare feat of scoring twin centuries in a single Test for the third time in his career.
Pakistan’s Hasan Ali and Noman Ali were effective with the ball in the morning, with Noman reaching the milestone of 100 Test wickets by dismissing Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
With this victory, Bangladesh continues to rewrite its cricket history against Pakistan. The Tigers’ ability to take 20 wickets on a fifth-day Mirpur track signals a significant shift in their Test temperament.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was named Player of the Match for his pivotal 87-run knock that set the foundation for this famous win. He missed out on becoming only the fourth batter, after Sunil Gavaskar, Ricky Ponting and David Warner, to score twin hundreds in a Test on three occasions.
The teams will now look ahead to the next match, with Bangladesh holding a 1-0 lead in the series.
