The Bangladesh cricket team continued their fairytale run in Pakistan, securing their second successive Test match win to wrap up the series 2-0. It's the first time that Bangladesh went on to complete a clean sweep against an Asian side in their own home, inflicting a defeat that Pakistan and the entire cricketing spectrum would remember for years to come. Bangladesh haven't been the strongest of teams in Test cricket away from home, with their only sweep in the longest format of the game coming against West Indies in 2009 (in a series of 2 or more Tests).
Pakistan, who were keen to make a strong comeback after facing defeat in the first Test by 10 wickets, failed to live up to the expectations in the second match of the series. Similar batting and bowling issues hurt the hosts' chances as they suffered their second Test sweep at home in three years. Pakistan had earlier suffered a 0-3 whitewash at home during England's 2022 tour.
HISTORY AT RAWALPINDI…!!!!
– Bangladesh won the Test series against Pakistan in Pakistan.
One of the Greatest Days in Test history. pic.twitter.com/XYyO651mhI— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 3, 2024
As for the second Test, Pakistan thought to have done well in putting a score of 274/10 on the board in the first innings, with Saim Ayyub, Shan Masood, and Agha Salman scoring half-centuries. The likes of Babar Azam (31), Abdullah Shafique (0), Saud Shakeel (16), and Mohammad Rizwan (29), however, failed to fire.
Chasing the total, Bangladesh started off poorly, losing 6 wickets for just 26 runs before Litton Das scored a counter-attacking century to take the team to a total of 262 before Bangladesh were bowled out. In the second innings, Bangladesh bowler did reasonably well, bundling out Pakistan for 172, with Hasan Mahmud claiming a 5-wicket haul.
With the bat, Bangladesh did incur a few hiccups in the second innings but comfortably chased down the target of 185 runs, with 6 wickets in hand.
On the series win, Bangladesh's Player of the Match Litton Das said: "Just believed in myself, Pakistan bowled well in that spell but me and Miraz wanted to just bat long. He hit a four and a six and then the momentum shifted. When Hasan came, I didn't have many scoring opportunities, so I took time and wanted to play as many overs as possible.
"Credit to Hasan as well for batting really well. I like keeping in Tests, that is my role and when I do well behind the wicket, the team does well too. When we came here, things back home weren't up to the mark, but we came here and practiced hard. It is all about team effort, credit to all and the coaching staff. Not easy playing in this kind of heat."
Pakistan really seem to have missed their marquee pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi in the match. He withdrew from selection for the second Test due to the birth of his son. The defeat against Bangladesh would go down in the nation's history as a dark chapter. Bangladesh became the first Asian side to inflict a home Test series sweep to Pakistan in their own home.
