Bangladesh national cricket team secured a commanding 104-run victory over Pakistan national cricket team in the first Test at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Monday, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series.
Fast bowler Nahid Rana produced a match-winning spell, claiming five wickets in Pakistan’s second innings as the visitors were bowled out for 163 while chasing a target of 268 runs.
Pakistan Collapse Under Pressure
Resuming the final innings with hopes of chasing a record target at Mirpur, Pakistan struggled against Bangladesh’s disciplined bowling attack. No team had previously chased more than 209 runs successfully in the fourth innings at the venue, and Pakistan failed to rewrite history.
Nahid Rana’s pace proved too much for the visitors during the final session. He removed key batters including Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan before wrapping up the tail with his fifth wicket by dismissing Shaheen Afridi.
It was Rana’s second five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
Bangladesh Bowlers Dominate
Alongside Nahid Rana’s five wickets, Taskin Ahmed and Taijul Islam picked up two wickets each, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz took one.
Pakistan showed resistance through partnerships between Abdullah Fazal and Azan Awaiz, as well as Salman Agha and Fazal. However, Bangladesh broke through regularly to maintain control of the match.
Abdullah Fazal top-scored for Pakistan with 66 runs, while Salman Agha contributed 26.
Shanto Leads with the Bat
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto played a crucial role in the victory. After scoring 101 in the first innings, he added another impressive 87 in the second innings to guide Bangladesh into a strong position.
In the first innings, Bangladesh posted 413 runs with major contributions from Shanto, Mominul Haque (91), and Mushfiqur Rahim (71).
Pakistan replied with 386, led by a century from Azan Awaiz and valuable contributions from Rizwan, Salman Agha, and Abdullah Fazal.
Bangladesh later declared their second innings at 240 for 9, setting Pakistan a challenging fourth-innings target that ultimately proved beyond reach.
