Bangladesh on the Brink of Historic Test Victory Against Pakistan in Rawalpindi

In an exhilarating contest at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Bangladesh has positioned itself for a historic victory as Pakistan crumbled to 108 for 6 on the fifth and final day of their first Test match.

Facing a disciplined bowling attack from Bangladesh, Pakistan’s batting lineup struggled significantly, exhibiting poor shot selection during the crucial first session on Sunday, August 25, 2024. At lunch, Pakistan found itself trailing by nine runs, having conceded a 117-run lead in the first innings.

Mohammad Rizwan remained the last recognized batsman at the crease, unbeaten on 22 runs, which included three consecutive boundaries off bowler Nahid Rana, while Shaheen Shah Afridi was not out on one after surviving a close lbw referral against Shakib Al Hasan just before the break.

Historically, Bangladesh has faced challenges against Pakistan in Test matches, having lost 12 of their last 13 encounters. The only exception to this trend was a draw in 2015 at Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Starting the day at 23 for 1 and facing a 94-run deficit, Pakistan quickly lost their captain Shan Masood for just 14 runs when Hasan Mahmud trapped him, resulting in a catch behind. Masood had previously argued with the on-field umpire after a contentious decision in the first innings.

In a crucial moment, Babar Azam was nearly dismissed for a pair of ducks, but wicketkeeper Litton Das missed an easy catch off the very first ball Babar faced. Attempting to accelerate the scoring, Babar hit three boundaries before he was dismissed by tall fast bowler Rana for 22 runs.

The middle-order batting of Pakistan was characterized by reckless dismissals against Bangladesh’s spin duo, Shakib and Mehidy Hasan Mirza. Saud Shakeel, who had previously scored a century in the first innings, inexplicably attempted an extravagant shot against Shakib and was stumped for a duck, marking an unprecedented event in his short Test career.

Abdullah Shafique also fell prey to desperation, playing an ambitious shot against Shakib and top-edging a catch to point. Meanwhile, Mehidy Hasan continued the assault and secured the wicket of Salman Ali Agha, further tilting the match in Bangladesh’s favor.