Bangladesh complete whitewash of Pakistan at latter’s turf

Once known as ‘minnows of cricket’, Bangladeshis win series 2-0

BANGLADESH have handed Pakistan a shocking drubbing by beating them in the second Test by six wickets in Rawalpindi, thus completing a humiliating whitewash of Pakistanis on their home turf. Pakistan have rarely had to endure such a treatment at the hands of any foreign team, let alone by those who were once dubbed the “minnows of Test cricket”.

On the last day of the Test the visitors began their innings at 42-0, after rain had cut short Monday’s play, and successfully chased down the 185-run target to secure their first Test series win over Pakistan. Zakir Hasan (40), Najmul Hossain Shanto (38) and Mominul Haq (34) chipped in with useful cameos as Bangladesh chased down the target with more than a session left in the game.

They inched their way to the target for the loss of four wickets, 25 minutes before tea to complete a 2-0 series sweep.

Pakistan got their first breakthrough fairly early on, after 16 runs were added, when Mir Hamza bowled Hasan with a delivery that moved away. Fellow pace bowler Khurram Shahzad got in on the act when Shadman Islam miscued a drive, chipping it to Shan at mid-off.

However, a lack of further breakthroughs and an easy target meant that Bangladesh tightened their grip on the match and the series, reaching the 100-run mark in the 29th over.

Najmul Hossain Shanto on 33 and Mominul Haq, 20, dug in to stop any further inroads, with the captain bringing up their fifty partnership off the last ball before lunch.

Shanto fell after the lunch break and Mominul threw away his wicket but veterans Mushfiqur Rahim, who made 22 not out, and Shakib Al Hasan guided Bangladesh home without any drama. Shakib, who finished with 21 not out, sealed the victory by hitting spinner Abrar Ahmed for four through the covers.

Bangladesh led the series 1-0 after a surprise win at Rawalpindi last month, which was their first one in 14 tests against Pakistan.

They have only won two series away from home — against the West Indies in 2009 and Zimbabwe in 2021.