Bangladesh create hory in Rawalpindi, record maiden Test win over Pakan after 21 years | Cricket News
Bangladesh on Sunday scripted hory as they recorded their maiden Test win over Pakan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Najmul Shanto’s side beat the hosts 10 wickets after being set a modest target of 30. Opting to field first, Bangladesh had started the Test on a high, leaving Shan Masood’s men reeling at 16 for three on the opening day. However, riding on middle-order batter Saud Shakeel (141) and wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan’s (171) rearguard centuries, Pakan declared the first-innings at 448 for six.
Fielding an all-pace Test attack for the first time in 28 years, Pakan were then put on the backfoot Bangladesh as they racked up 565 in reply, earning a 117-run lead. Veteran Mushfiqur Rahim struck a 341-ball 191, backed able fifties from Shadman Islam (93) and Mehidy Hasan (77) to fend off Pakan.
Pakan’s Babar Azam reacts after he is bowled out Bangladesh’s Nahid Rana during the fifth day. (AP)
Horic win
Pakan suffered a precipitous collapse on Day 5 morning after carrying over from their overnight total of 23 for 1. The team lost half their man for 104 before spinners Mehidy Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan snared seven wickets to bundle Pakan out for a paltry 146.
Bangladesh openers Islam and Zakir Hasan then erased the 30-run deficit within seven overs.
The win marked Bangladesh’s first Test win over Pakan in 14 attempts. They had previously lost 12 matches while securing a solitary draw since their first meeting in 2001. Bangladesh have now beaten nine of the 11-Test playing teams they met. They are yet to reger a win over India and South Africa.
The win marked Bangladesh’s 20th Test victory across 143 matches and seventh away from home. The Tigers have previously won in twice in the Caribbean and Zimbabwe besides solitary wins in Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Consequently, the Tigers also moved past Pakan on the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 points table standings with their second win in five games this cycle. Pakan slipped to the eighth spot following their fourth defeat in six games this cycle, shrinking their points percentage (PCT) to 30.55.
The teams will meet in the second Test at the same venue starting August 30.
Bangladesh’s Test wins away from home
9 July 2009: Beat West Indies 95 runs, Kingstown17 July 2009: Beat West Indies 4 wickets, St George’s25 April 2013: Beat Zimbabwe 143 runs, Harare15 March 2017: Beat Sri Lanka 4 wickets, Colombo7 July 2021: Beat Zimbabwe 220 runs, Harare1 January 2022: Beat New Zealand 8 wickets, Mount Maunganui25 August 2024: Beat Pakan 10 wickets, Rawalpindi