Dhaka: Bangladesh scripted another memorable chapter in their recent resurgence against Pakistan as pace sensation Nahid Rana produced a match-winning spell of fast bowling to seal a dramatic 104-run victory in the first Test at Mirpur on Tuesday.
Before 2024, Bangladesh had never beaten Pakistan in a Test match. Now, they have achieved three consecutive victories against their Asian rivals. This latest win also marks their first home Test victory over Pakistan. Rana ended with impressive figures of 5 for 40, helping the hosts dismiss Pakistan for 163 while defending a target of 268 during the final session on day five.
The match was tense as it entered the final session. Pakistan still needed 152 runs with seven wickets in hand, and all three results remained possible. Much of Pakistan’s resistance came from debutant Abdullah Fazal, who batted maturely under pressure.
Fazal’s steady 66, along with a critical 48-run partnership with Salman Ali Agha for the fourth wicket, kept Pakistan’s hopes alive on a challenging surface that had uneven bounce and sharp turn. With bad light approaching and Bangladesh struggling for wickets, even a draw seemed attainable for Pakistan at one point.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh strengthened their position thanks to captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, whose fluent 87 guided the team to a competitive second-innings total after they added 88 important runs in the morning.
Despite the debutant’s bravery, Bangladesh’s bowlers, led by Nahid Rana’s speed and Taijul’s accuracy, proved too strong in the end. The hosts secured a memorable victory and took a 1-0 lead in the series.
Brief scores: Bangladesh 413 & 240/9 decl (Najmul Hossain Shanto 87, Mominul Haque 56; Hasan Ali 3-52) beat Pakistan 386 & 163 (Abdullah Fazal 66; Nahid Rana 5-40) by 104 runs. IANS
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