A statement victory for Tigers

When opener Zakir Hasan swept off-spinner Agha Salman down to the square-leg boundary for the winning runs at the Rawalpindi Stadium yesterday afternoon, it marked the end of Bangladesh’s long wait for a Test win against Pakistan.
The 10-wicket triumph in the first of the Two-Test series on a dramatic fifth and final day was not just a win, but a true statement of courage, commitment, self-belief and discipline that deserved to be preserved for posterity.
There are so many heroes in Bangladesh’s first-ever Test win against Pakistan after 13 unsuccessful attempts. The only occasion the Tigers came close to winning before this was in Multan in 2003 when a portly Inzamamul Haq robbed them with an unbeaten 138 in the second innings, with Pakistan winning by one wicket.
However, there was no Inzy this time around when Bangladesh, riding on an invaluable 117-run first-innings lead, went for the final push for an unlikely win on an otherwise flat track.
Resuming on 23-1 on a ‘never trust a fifth day pitch’, Pakistan stumbled to 105-6 by lunch with the Bangladesh spin duo of Shakib Al Hasan and Mehedi Hasan Miraz getting some purchase and eventually sharing seven wickets between them.
However, it was right-arm pacer Hasan Mahmud, bowling a probing line throughout the Test, who drew the first blood early in the morning by having Pakistan captain Shan Masood caught behind for 14.
Lanky Nahid Rana with his raw pace then had the ‘big fish’ Babar Azam, who chopped onto his stumps a widish delivery outside the off-stump for 22.
A vintage Shakib then struck twice in the space of six overs, leaving Pakistan tottering at 104-5. Shakib lured both first-innings centurion Saud Shakil and Abdullah Shafique to come down the wicket, with the former missing the ball completely while the latter miscuing an attempted heave at point to Shadman Islam.
Shadman then plucked a stunning low catch at slip off Mehedi to see the back of Salman for a duck, leaving Pakistan in deep trouble at lunch.
Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, who hit a superb 171 not out in Pakistan’s first innings total of 448-6 declared, tried to take the fight to the opposition by blending caution with aggression.
But once he was dismissed by Mehedi, Pakistan’s second innings folded for 146, leaving Bangladesh with a simple task of scoring 30 runs to win with more than a session in hand.
Shadman and Zakir stroked those runs in 6.3 overs, sparking wild celebrations at the Bangladesh dressing room.
It was Bangladesh’s seventh overseas Test victory and the most decorated one after the success against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui in 2022.
This was a Test where Bangladesh, for a change, demonstrated the hallmark of a quality Test side after languishing as a mediocre one for the most part of their journey since 2000.
The young pace bowling unit, spearheaded by Shoriful Islam, more than matched the Pakistan heavyweights of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. Shoriful finished with three wickets in the match, however, the figure hardly reflected how well he bowled with the new ball.
Even though the Tigers have developed a tendency of buckling under pressure once their opponents put on a massive total, in Rawalpindi, they were not intimidated after Pakistan amassed 448. Rather, they grafted and then prospered with such conviction, rarely seen before.
Coming into the side after two years, opener Shadman anchored the innings with a solid 93. Mominul Haque also played his part with 50 and Liton Das provided the necessary thrust in the middle. His 56 off 78 balls was a spectators’ delight, especially the three boundaries and a massive six that he smote in one over off Naseem.
Mehedi demonstrated his all-round ability with a priceless 77.
But the best came from the best batter of the country — an ageless Mushfiqur Rahim. The little right-hander was in a league of his own with an imperious 191, laced with 22 fours and a six.
It was his masterclass knock that propelled Bangladesh to 565 in their first essay and that priceless lead. He dominated two century stands — 114 runs for the sixth wicket with Liton and 196 for the seventh wicket with Mehedi.
The pocket-size dynamo, nicknamed Mr. Dependable in the Tigers’ ranks, hardly allowed anything to get past his watertight defence and was sublime in his stroke-play during his more than three-session vigil at the wicket.
An epitome of hard work and discipline, Mushfiqur is the only wicketkeeper-batter who has three double hundreds under his belt. He might have missed a fourth, but his latest knock was a special one considering the context and could be a good manual for up-and-coming cricketers.
Champion all-rounder Shakib had to endure a lot due to some disturbing developments back home. He did not contribute with the bat, but struck with the ball when it mattered most.
As a key member of the team, Shakib would desperately need mental peace more than anything else when the second Test starts at the same venue on August 30.