Pakistan's head coach, Jason Gillespie, expressed his team's determination to battle until the final ball on the concluding day of the second Test, following the impressive performance by pacemen Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana who collectively claimed nine wickets on Monday. This effort put Bangladesh in a strong position for a historic series win. Hasan's figures of 5-43 and Nahid's 4-44, both personal bests, led to Pakistan being all out for 172 in their second innings, setting a target of 185 for Bangladesh to clinch a 2-0 series victory in Rawalpindi. Bangladesh's openers, Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam, made a quickfire 42 without loss, with Zakir smashing two sixes and two fours, before play was halted due to bad light just after the tea interval as rain clouds approached.
Bangladesh currently leads the two-match series 1-0, having secured a surprising victory in Rawalpindi last month, marking their first win in 14 Tests against Pakistan. They have only won two series away from home previously—against the West Indies in 2009 and Zimbabwe in 2021—and require another 143 runs on the final day, Tuesday, to secure the series win. Gillespie acknowledged Bangladesh's favored status but emphasized his team's intent to fight for a win.
Pakistan was struggling at 117-6 at lunch, with Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha attempting to rescue the hosts before Hasan broke their 55-run partnership. Rizwan was caught behind for 43, and Mohammad Ali was dismissed for a golden duck on the next ball, leaving Pakistan at 136-8. Salman, who scored 47, added 27 runs with the last wicket partner, Mir Hamza, before Hasan sealed the innings with his fifth wicket, catching Hamza in the slips.
Hasan expressed his joy at achieving his first five-wicket haul, stating his team's happiness at winning the first game and having a chance to win another. He highlighted their strategic bowling and continuous wicket-taking as key factors in their strong position. The morning session was dominated by 21-year-old Nahid, who removed Shan Masood (28), Babar Azam (11), and Saud Shakeel (two). Pakistan progressed from their overnight score of 9-2 to 47-2 in 10 overs before Bangladesh made significant inroads, taking three wickets for 18 runs. Saim Ayub was caught out for 20 by Najmul Hossain at mid-off, failing to control a drive off fast bowler Taskin Ahmed. Nahid then caught Pakistan skipper Masood behind off a wild shot before snaring the crucial wicket of Azam, caught at slip off a sharp delivery. He secured his third wicket by dismissing Shakeel and concluded the session with figures of 3-22 off five overs.
