August 25, 2024 turned out to be a red-letter day for Bangladesh cricket as they registered their first-ever victory over Pakistan in Test cricket, with a 10-wicket victory. Pakistan could muster a mere 146 in their second innings, with Bangladesh chasing the paltry target of 30 in just under 7 overs. Zakir Hasan hit the winning runs with a paddle sweep that raced away to the boundary.
At the start of the final day, a draw still seemed to be the likely result. However, the Rawalpindi track started to assist spinners on the last day as Pakistan suffered a collapse. The pace bowling trio of Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam made some early dents. Rana, in particular, bowled a zestful spell, touching speeds in excess of 145 kph.
The spin twins – Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan – took over by collecting seven wickets between them. Shakib dismissed Saul Shakeel, Abdullah Shafique and Naseem Shah, while Mehidy got the better of Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman and Shaheen Afridi. Shakib finished with figures of 3 for 44 while Mehidy took 4 for 21.
For the home team, Rizwan was the lone batter to cross the 50-run mark. When Rizwan chopped one onto the stumps off Mehidy, it was all but over for Pakistan. The off-spinner then removed Ali to complete the formalities. Shadman Islam and Zakir Hossain then hunted down the target with ease.
In hindsight, Pakistan perhaps made a mistake by declaring at 448 for 6. The pitch was still excellent for batting, and logically, Pakistan should have gone on to get a much bigger score. Bangladesh then posted a massive total of 565, with Mushfiqur Rahim composing a game-breaking innings of 191. Three other batters also crossed the 50-run mark as Bangladesh took a healthy first-innings lead of 117. In the end, the lead proved to be decisive.
Long ago, in 2003, under the leadership of Khaled Mahmud, Bangladesh had come close to eking out a victory against Pakistan in Multan. Inzamam-ul-Haq’s 138 proved to be the difference between the two sides as Pakistan eked out a thrilling one-wicket win. A little more than two decades later, Bangladesh have finally achieved their dream of beating Pakistan in a Test, a victory that would be written with indelible ink in their sporting history.