BAN vs PAK: Abdullah Fazal’s heroic debut fifty not enough as Bangladesh beat Pakistan by 104 runs in 1st Test

Bangladesh cricket team registered a hard fought 104-run win over Pakistan cricket team in the opening Test in Mirpur after wrapping up the contest in the final session on Day 5. Chasing 268 for victory, Pakistan were bowled out for 163 despite a brave effort from debutant Abdullah Fazal, who stood out with another impressive half-century.

The victory gave Bangladesh a 1-0 lead in the series and continued their recent dominance over Pakistan in Test cricket. After never defeating Pakistan in a Test before 2024, Bangladesh have now beaten them three consecutive times, including their first-ever home Test win against their Asian rivals.

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Abdullah Fazal fights lone battle for Pakistan

Pakistan still had hope entering the final session with Abdullah Fazal and Salman Ali Agha at the crease. The visitors needed 152 more runs with seven wickets in hand, while fading light also brought the possibility of a draw into the equation.

Fazal looked calm and confident despite batting on a difficult fifth-day pitch. The young batter attacked the Bangladesh bowlers whenever scoring opportunities came, collecting boundaries against Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nahid Rana to keep Pakistan alive in the chase.

The debutant completed an impressive half-century with an upper cut off Ebadot Hossain and became only the sixth Pakistan batter to score fifties in both innings of a debut Test.

However, Bangladesh finally got the breakthrough moments after Tea. Taijul Islam trapped Fazal lbw after a successful review ended the youngster’s fighting knock of 66.

Bangladesh seize control in final session

Fazal’s dismissal shifted the momentum completely in Bangladesh’s favour. In the very next over, Taskin Ahmed removed Salman Ali Agha after the Pakistan batter edged a wide delivery towards the gully region.

Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel briefly resisted and tried to take Pakistan towards safety, but Bangladesh’s bowlers maintained relentless pressure.

That was when Nahid Rana produced a match-winning spell. The fast bowler first had Saud Shakeel caught behind after forcing him into an attacking shot. He then delivered one of the best balls of the match to dismiss Rizwan, bowling him with a sharp delivery that came back into the right-hander at high pace.

Taijul Islam later trapped Hasan Ali lbw before Nahid removed Noman Ali and Shaheen Afridi to complete a memorable five-wicket haul.

Nahid Rana stars with fiery spell

Nahid Rana once again showed why he is considered one of Bangladesh’s brightest fast-bowling talents. Although he leaked runs early in the innings, the pacer returned strongly when the team needed breakthroughs the most.

The speedster finished with outstanding figures of 5 for 40 and played the biggest role in Bangladesh’s victory on the final day.

His aggressive pace and ability to generate movement troubled Pakistan’s lower order throughout the final session.

Shanto leads Bangladesh’s strong batting effort

Earlier in the day, Bangladesh batted positively in the morning session to stretch their lead further before declaring at 240/9.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto once again led from the front with a superb knock of 87, while Mominul Haque added 56 valuable runs.

The hosts added quick runs despite losing wickets regularly, ensuring Pakistan would have to chase a challenging target on a deteriorating Mirpur surface.

Pakistan’s bowlers did manage some resistance, with Hasan Ali picking up three wickets in the innings, but the target proved too difficult in the fourth innings.

Pakistan batting collapses again

Pakistan’s chase never truly settled after Imam-ul-Haq fell before Lunch while edging Taskin Ahmed behind the stumps.

Azan Awais also departed cheaply after being bowled by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, while captain Shan Masood managed only two runs before Nahid Rana removed him.

Apart from Fazal’s fighting innings, none of Pakistan’s batters managed to play a match-defining knock as Bangladesh’s bowlers dominated the crucial moments on the final day.

Brief Scores:

Bangladesh 413 & 240/9 decl (Najmul Hossain Shanto 87, Mominul Haque 56; Hasan Ali 3-52) beat Pakistan 386 & 163 (Abdullah Fazal 66; Nahid Rana 5-40) by 104 runs.