Bangladesh marked a significant milestone in their cricket history by securing their maiden Test series victory against Pakistan, achieving a 2-0 sweep with a nerve-wracking six-wicket triumph in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. Shakib Al Hasan sealed the victory with a boundary 25 minutes before the tea break on the fifth and final day of the second Test, igniting celebrations in the Bangladesh dressing room. A few Bangladeshi fans waving their national flag were also present to witness their team's third away series win in 33 attempts. Shakib remained unbeaten on 21, and Mushfiqur Rahim was on 22 as the visitors successfully chased down the 185-run target. Openers Zakir Hasan (40) and Shadman Islam (24), along with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (38) and Mominul Haque (34), contributed significantly to Bangladesh's memorable win. Pakistan posted scores of 274 and 172, while Bangladesh, after a shaky start at 26-6, managed 262 in their first innings. Litton Das's 138 and Mehidy Hasan Miraz's 78 were pivotal in rescuing Bangladesh from a precarious position.
"It's a significant achievement for the Bangladesh cricket team, and I'm part of this, so I'm very happy," Litton remarked. Their fast bowlers, Hasan Mahmud (5-43) and Nahid Rana (4-44), then dismantled Pakistan (172 all out) with career-best performances. "Very proud. A very young group, in terms of the number of games they've played. Probably not the kind of wickets we were expecting when scouting for Pakistan. But this group has improved with every Test and showed good control, especially in the second innings, so very proud," said bowling coach Andre Adams. Bangladesh clinched the first Test by 10 wickets in Rawalpindi, marking their first victory over Pakistan in 14 matches.
Captain Najmul described the series win as a momentous occasion for a country recently affected by protests and the overthrow of former premier Sheikh Hasina. "It means a lot to Bangladesh cricket and to all the players," he said. "I cannot express the feelings. When we came here, everyone was determined to do something special, and we wanted to win. I am happy that everyone did his job to the best, and we have won a historic series." Najmul particularly praised his bowlers, especially all-rounder Mehidy, who concluded with 10 wickets from his spin bowling. "I think the way he bowled in the first innings on this kind of condition, taking five wickets, was great," he noted. Mehidy also scored 78 in a partnership of 165 with Litton, lifting Bangladesh when they were in serious trouble in their first innings. The all-rounder dedicated the victory to his country's students whose protests led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.
"You know there have been problems in Bangladesh - I dedicate this award to the student protestors who were martyred," Mehidy said upon receiving his Player-of-the-Series award. "A rickshaw-puller was hurt in the violence and eventually died. I want to gift this award to his family." Bangladesh outperformed the home team in both Tests and were the superior bowling side, despite their inexperienced pace attack. Prior to this, Bangladesh's only away Test series wins were in the West Indies in 2009 and Zimbabwe three years ago. In contrast, Pakistan has now lost six of their last 10 home Tests, drawing the other four.
"It is extremely disappointing to lose when you start a busy season," said skipper Shan Masood, whose team faces England in a challenging three-match home series starting next month. "In both the Tests, we let them back in the game and in this one from 26-6, so it is something we need to address before our next series." "We are not finishing games and not learning from our mistakes," added Masood, who has now lost all five Tests since being appointed last year, including 3-0 against Australia earlier this year.
