Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto during a press conference
Photo : Pakistan Cricket
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Bangladesh won their first-ever Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Sunday
- This was Bangladesh’s first-ever 10-wicket win in Tests
- Najmul Hasan Shanto reveales why this win was important for Bangladesh
Bangladesh scripted history by registering their first-ever Test victory over Pakistan, triumphing by 10 wickets in the opening match of the two match series in Rawalpindi on Sunday. This historic win came after 14 matches with Pakistan, where Bangladesh had suffered 12 defeats and managed just one draw.
Pakistan, who declared their first innings on 448-6, were bowled out for 146 in their second on Day 5 after spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz (4-21) and Shakib Al Hasan (3-44) wreaked havoc with the ball. Thereafter, Bangladeshi openers Zakir Hasan (15 not out) and Shadman Islam (9 not out) eased past the 30-run target set by Pakistan in mere 6.3 overs to script history and go 1-0 up in the two-test series.
This was Bangladesh’s first-ever 10-wicket win in Tests. Following their victory against Pakistan, India and South Africa are now the only teams that Bangladesh has yet to defeat in Test cricket.
Speaking after the historic victory, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hasan Shanto said that it was a very important win for them given the circumstances the country is going through.
“It was a very important win for us because last month we had a difficult situation in Bangladesh. There are still some problems there but in Bangladesh we support each other and I am happy this win gives them a little bit of a smile on their faces,” Shanto said at the post-match conference.
“We are happy with our performance and we just want to give more joy to our people in the second match as well. It was a special victory for us especially given how we adjusted to the hot conditions and pitch here,” he added.
The Bangladesh skipper said the team was confident of winning the match coming into the final day as the pitch was becoming difficult and his team had some good spinners.
“I think Shakib and Miraz bowled very well today given the conditions and we knew that with a 90-run advantage Pakistan would be under pressure on the final day,” he said.
The 26-year-old also lauded Mushfiqur Rahim for his outstanding innings, while adding that everyone contributed well.
“Mushfiq bhai played an outstanding innings but overall I think everyone contributed and it was a big team effort. I am happy that all the hard work we put into preparing for this series we have now ticked all the boxes in this match,” said Shanto.
This victory against Pakistan gave Bangladesh a significant boost in the ICC World Test Championship standings, as they leapfrogged Pakistan and South Africa to the sixth spot, tied on point percentage with Sri Lanka (40%).
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