Bangladesh dominated Pakistan in the opening match of the ODI series after bowling the visitors out for just 114 runs at the Sher e Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday. The impressive performance from the home side was led by fast bowler Nahid Rana, whose brilliant spell dismantled Pakistan’s batting lineup and placed Bangladesh in a commanding position early in the series.
Pakistan started their innings with some early promise. The new opening pair of Maaz Sadaqat and Sahibzada Farhan looked comfortable at the crease and built a 41 run partnership that gave the visitors a steady beginning. Both batters played positive shots and kept the scoreboard moving during the early overs.
However, the momentum quickly shifted when Nahid Rana struck in the final over of the powerplay. He dismissed Sahibzada Farhan, who scored 27 runs from 38 balls with four boundaries. That breakthrough opened the door for Bangladesh’s bowlers to apply pressure on the middle order.
Soon after, debutant Shamyl Hussain failed to make an impact and was dismissed for just four runs. Pakistan’s problems continued as Maaz Sadaqat was also sent back after scoring 18 runs. The fall of quick wickets left the visitors struggling to build partnerships.
Captain Mohammad Rizwan could not stabilize the innings and was removed by Nahid Rana after scoring 10 runs. Rana continued his outstanding spell and picked up his fifth wicket, removing Salman Ali Agha and completing a remarkable performance.
Bangladesh spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz also played a crucial role by taking three important wickets, including those of Abdul Samad, Hussain Talat, and Shaheen Afridi. Pakistan’s batting order collapsed rapidly as wickets kept falling under relentless pressure from Bangladesh’s bowlers.
All rounder Faheem Ashraf provided some resistance with a fighting 37 runs off 47 balls, helping Pakistan cross the 100 run mark. However, his effort ended when Mustafizur Rahman dismissed him, bringing Pakistan’s innings to an end at 114 runs in 30.4 overs.
Nahid Rana finished with outstanding figures of 5 wickets for 24 runs, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz took three wickets. Bangladesh now hold a strong advantage as the Pakistan vs Bangladesh ODI series continues in Dhaka with two matches remaining.
