Nahid Rana five-for seals Bangladesh's first ever home Test win over Pakistan
Nahid Rana ripped through the lower order with 5 for 40 and Bangladesh closed out a 104-run win over Pakistan at Mirpur on Tuesday, May 12, sealing their first ever home Test against the visitors.
Pakistan resumed the final session on the back foot, asked to chase 268 on a fifth-day Sher-e-Bangla pitch that had started to misbehave, and Rana made the most of it. The 23-year-old quick had Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan caught behind in one fiery spell, then returned to mop up Noman Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi to finish with 5 for 40 from 9.5 overs. Pakistan, set 268 to win, were bowled out for 163.
Fazal fights, Pakistan fall
Debutant Abdullah Fazal was the only Pakistan batter who looked at ease. The opener pushed his way to 66 off 113 balls, joining a short list as the sixth Pakistan batter to score fifties in both innings of his debut Test, and at one stage looked capable of dragging the chase deeper into the evening. Once Rana came back for his second spell, the resistance ended quickly. Salman Agha chipped in with 26, but no one stayed with Fazal long enough to threaten the target.
Taskin Ahmed and Taijul Islam picked up two wickets each, while Mehidy Hasan, who took a five-for in Pakistan's first innings, added one more to round out the attack. Bangladesh's seamers and spinners had shared 20 wickets across the Test, a balance the home side rarely manages at Mirpur.
Shanto sets it up
The win was set up the day before by Najmul Hossain Shanto. The Bangladesh captain made 87 in the second innings, with Mominul Haque adding 56, after Salman Agha had publicly invited the Tigers to declare overnight. Shanto duly closed Bangladesh on 240 for 9 declared and handed Pakistan a target that always looked at least one batter beyond them. Bangladesh's first-innings 413 had already given Shanto the room to be bold.
The captain walked off with the Player of the Match award and a result that meant more than the scoreline. This is Bangladesh's third straight Test win over Pakistan, after sweeping the series in Rawalpindi in 2024, and crucially the first time they have beaten Pakistan in a Test at home.
What's next
The second Test of the two-match series begins at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on May 16. Bangladesh go in 1-0 up with a 23-year-old quick who is suddenly the team's best bowler and a captain who set the win up with the bat. Pakistan have selection questions to answer beyond Fazal, particularly in the middle order, where Rizwan and Shakeel struggled in both innings at Mirpur.
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