PAK vs BAN: Bangladesh upset Pakistan to seal their third away series win
Playing at home, Pakistan were the favourites to win the two-match Test series against Bangladesh. The Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side was stuck in a violent situation back home, which affected their preparations significantly, but even so, they played to their potential and won the series rather comfortably, leaving Pakistan stunned.
Be it with the bat or bowl, the Shan Masood-led side was below average, to say the least. In the first game, they played four pacers which backfired, while the batting unit proved to be disastrous in both matches. In the second Test particularly, Saim Ayub, Masood, and Agha Salman showed glimpses of their class in the second innings but none of them could convert their fifties into a three-digit score.
Their bowlers did well in the first innings, with Khurram Shahzad picking six, but Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz were rock solid, which changed the complexion of the game as the visitors were reduced to 25/6 at one stage. In the second innings, it was a one-sided affair as Bangladesh took control of the situation, leaving Pakistan looking helpless.
Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana looked ruthless with the ball in the third innings, picking up a five-for and four-for respectively. They bundled Pakistan to 172 runs, which set the target of 185 for Bangladesh in the fourth innings. It was expected to be tough for them as chasing anything close to 200 is never an easy task in Test cricket but Bangladesh made it look easy.
Openers Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam gave a good start, as they stitched a partnership of 58 runs for the first wicket. Zakir made 40 and later captain Shanto made 38, which helped Bangladesh get closer to the target. Pakistan pushed hard with the ball in the final innings to save the series, but it all went in vain as Bangladesh won the match by six wickets.
The loss puts immense pressure on Shan Masood, who might even lose the captaincy ahead of the England series. Senior batter Babar Azam has been on the receiving end for many months now, and his poor show in the two-match Test series only exceeded.
