Bangladesh completed a historic clean sweep over Pakistan with a six-wicket win in the second and final Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
After a remarkable turnaround in the first innings, Shakib Al Hasan hit the winning boundary 25 minutes before the tea break to bring the first series win over Pakistan in this format.
Bangladesh beat the hosts in the first Test at the same venue last month. This is the only third away series win for Bangladesh in 34 attempts and only the fourth time that they have clean swept an opposition in a multi-match (two matches or more) series.
The victory has also given Bangladesh a boost in the ICC World Test Championship standings, catapulting them to No 4 with a points聽 percentage of 45.83, jumping over England.
Liton Das was named man of the match for his epic 138 runs in the first innings that rescued Bangladesh from a precarious 26-6 on the third day.
His helping hand in the record-breaking seventh wicket stand, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, was named the player of the series as he scored 155 runs and took 10 wickets.
Chasing 185 runs, openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam made a positive start on late afternoon in the fourth day, and they carried it to the beginning of the final day. They brought the first 50 runs opening partnership for Bangladesh since December 2022.
Zakir made an aggressive 39-ball 40 with three fours and two sixes before being bowled by Mir Hamza to bring the 58 runs stand to an end.
Shadman also fell in the first hour when he chipped Khurram Shahzad鈥檚 half volley straight to mid-off to Pakistan skipper Shan Masood.
If there were any nervy moments in the Bangladesh dressing room after losing the two openers in a space of 12 runs, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque calmed things down with another 50-run stand that frustrated the hosts.
They went to lunch break with Bangladesh needing only 63 runs with 8 wickets in hand.
Neither of them could make fifties though, and both were the victims of the spinners. Shanto found the short-leg fielder after flicking a full length delivery off Salman Ali Agha after making 38 runs from 82 balls while Mominul miscued a big shot to mid-off off leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed.
Mominul made 34 runs off 71. Then it was up to the two most senior campaigners of Bangladesh鈥擲hakib and Mushfiqur Rahim, the latter also the hero of the first Test.
They took their time, despite the fact that the rain threatened to ruin the party for Bangladesh. Both remained unbeaten, Shakib on 21 and Mushfiq on 22.
Earlier, after deciding to field first and opening day鈥檚 play being completely washed out, the Tigers bowled out Pakistan for a modest 274 runs.
Despite fifties from captain Masood and opener Saim Ayub, Mehidy鈥檚 five-wicket haul combined with a three-for from Taskin ensured the first innings total didn鈥檛 go beyond reach.
Pakistan were brilliant with the ball as well, Khurram Shahzad led the fightback with a six-wicket haul that gave the home team a slim lead of 12 runs.
However, the Bangladesh bowlers were not done. Two more heroes stepped up for the visitors - 24-year-old Hasan Mahmud and 21-year-old Nahid Rana, who took a combined nine wickets between them as Pakistan perished for just 172 runs in the second innings.
Chief adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, called captain Shanto on the phone to congratulate him and the team after the win. He also said that the Tigers would be accorded a reception when they return home later tonight.
