Tanzid Hasan's maiden century leads Bangladesh to series-clinching win over Pakistan
Pakistan needed a win to share the series. Bangladesh needed a win to prove the second ODI was no fluke. In a tense decider at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, it was Tanzid Hasan who grabbed the moment and Bangladesh who held on when the pressure was at its peak.
Tanzid arrives on the big stage
The left-handed opener had promised much in recent series without producing a defining innings. That changed on Sunday. Tanzid hit six fours and seven sixes in his 107 off 107 deliveries, mixing aggression with the patience that had sometimes eluded him. He put on 105 for the opening wicket with Saif Hassan, who contributed a useful 36 before falling to Shaheen Afridi.
Even after the opening stand was broken, Bangladesh kept building. Litton Das chipped in with 41, and Towhid Hridoy played a sharp cameo of 48 not out off 44 balls to push the total to 290 for five. It felt like a competitive score, but on a good Dhaka batting surface, Pakistan would have fancied chasing it down.
Salman Agha almost pulls off the impossible
For a while, it looked like they might. Salman Ali Agha played one of the best ODI innings of his career, smashing 106 off 98 balls with nine fours and four sixes. He hit boundaries when Pakistan needed them and kept the required rate within reach almost single-handedly after the top order fell cheaply.
But Taskin Ahmed had other ideas. The right-arm quick was relentless, removing key batters at regular intervals and finishing with four wickets for 49 runs. Mustafizur Rahman backed him up with three for 54, and between them they ensured Pakistan's middle and lower order could not hang around long enough to support Salman's counterattack.
Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 279 in the 50th over. Eleven runs short, and it will haunt them. Haris Rauf's three for 52 with the ball had given Pakistan hope, but the batting simply could not get over the line.
Series win caps a strong home campaign
Bangladesh will take enormous confidence from this series. After Nahid Rana tore through Pakistan in the first ODI, the hosts bounced back from a heavy defeat in the second game to clinch the decider. Two wins out of three at home against Pakistan is a statement result, and Tanzid's arrival as a genuine ODI run-scorer gives them another weapon heading towards the 2027 World Cup cycle.
For Pakistan, the questions keep piling up. Their bowling attack looks dangerous on its day, but the batting remains brittle when it matters. Losing the series in Dhaka will sting, and the pressure on the coaching staff is not going away.
