Bangladesh secured a dominant 104 run victory over Pakistan in the opening Test match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium after a sensational bowling display by Nahid Rana. The young pacer produced a match winning spell and guided Bangladesh to a memorable win in the two match Test series opener.
Chasing a target of 268 runs, Pakistan resumed their innings under pressure and were eventually bowled out for 163 runs in 52.5 overs. Nahid Rana starred with the ball, claiming an outstanding five wicket haul that completely dismantled Pakistan’s batting lineup.
Pakistan suffered an early setback when Taskin Ahmed removed Imam ul Haq for just two runs. Despite the shaky start, Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal built an important partnership to stabilize the innings. Abdullah played a fighting knock of 66 runs off 113 balls, smashing 11 boundaries and keeping Pakistan in the contest.
However, Bangladesh’s bowlers continued to strike at crucial moments. Taijul Islam dismissed Abdullah LBW, while Taskin Ahmed removed Salman Ali Agha shortly after. Pakistan’s middle order failed to handle the pressure as wickets kept falling regularly.
Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel attempted to rebuild the innings, but Nahid Rana once again turned the game in Bangladesh’s favor. He dismissed both batters before wrapping up the innings with the wickets of Noman Ali and Shaheen Afridi.
Earlier, Bangladesh declared their second innings at 240 for 9, thanks to captain Najmul Hossain Shanto’s brilliant 87 runs and a valuable 56 run contribution from Mominul Haque. In the first innings, Bangladesh had posted 413 runs, while Pakistan replied with 386 runs, conceding a narrow deficit.
With this impressive performance, Bangladesh now take a 1-0 lead in the Test series and head into the next match with strong momentum.
