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Bangladesh pacer Hasan Mahmud (L) tosses the ball as he celebrates his fifth wicket while another pacer Nahid Rana (R) bowls on the fourth day of their second Test against Pakistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Monday. | AFP photo.

Pacers Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana shared nine wickets between them as Bangladesh remained on course for a historic clean sweep over Pakistan after they bowled out the hosts for 172 in their second innings of the second and final Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Monday.

Hasan took 5-43 while Nahid added 4-44 – both career-best figures – to give Bangladesh a target of 185 to secure a 2-0 series win.


Taskin Ahmed took the other wicket, which meant that for the first time in Bangladesh’s Test history, all 10 wickets had been taken by the pacers.

Openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam raced to 42 without loss – with Zakir hitting two sixes and two boundaries – before bad light and subsequent rain forced early stumps on the penultimate day.

Bangladesh lead the series 1-0 after a historic win in the first Test, their first in 14 Tests against Pakistan.

They have only won two series away from home – against the West Indies in 2009 and Zimbabwe in 2021 – and need another 143 runs on the final day to secure victory.

‘It’s very joyful,’ Hasan said of his first five-wicket haul. ‘We’re very happy to win the first game and now have a chance to win another one.’

‘We tried to bowl according to our plans and kept taking wickets,’ he said. ‘I am delighted that I contributed to my team’s good position.’

The morning session belonged to 21-year-old express pacer Nahid, who dismissed Shan Masood (28), Babar Azam (11) and Saud Shakeel (two).

He could have had another if Shadman Islam didn’t grass a pretty straightforward chance of Mohammad Rizwan.

Saim Ayub fell for 20 to a brilliant catch by Najmul Hossain Shanto at mid-off as the opener failed to keep down a drive off Taskin.

Nahid then had Pakistan skipper Masood caught behind by wicketkeeper Liton Das off a wild shot before getting the prized wicket of Babar, caught at slip off a sharp delivery in his next over.

Nahid grabbed his third by dismissing Shakeel and went to lunch with figures of 3-22. Pakistan had been 117-6 at lunch, with Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha fighting to save the hosts before Hasan ended their 55-run stand.

‘Of course, whenever any partnership is being built, there’s some puzzling situations around the team’, Hasan said.

‘The plan was not to think much, to just check the runs, not to concede boundaries from both sides, to bowl the good deliveries.’

Hasan had Rizwan caught behind for 43 and had Mohammad Ali caught in the slips on the next ball for a golden duck to leave Pakistan teetering on 136-8.

Salman, who top-scored with 47, added 27 for the last wicket with Mir Hamza before Hasan wrapped up the innings with his fifth wicket, getting Hamza caught in the slip.

‘I should give credit to all the team members who work hard behind every ball. The plan was very simple. Whenever you get the new ball, you try to bowl wherever the captain or the team wants,’ said Hasan.

‘We tried to bowl according to our plan and to pick up the wickets.’