Najmul Hossain Shanto Celebrates 26th Birthday with Historic Win as Bangladesh Defeats Pakistan by 10 Wickets in Rawalpindi

Najmul Hossain Shanto Celebrates 26th Birthday with Historic Win as Bangladesh Defeats Pakistan by 10 Wickets in Rawalpindi

By :- Zia Shakeel

25/08/2024 (JKNN) Najmul Hossain Shanto celebrated his 26th birthday in unforgettable fashion by becoming the first Bangladesh captain to lead his team to a Test victory over Pakistan. The historic win came on the fifth afternoon in Rawalpindi, where Bangladesh secured a resounding 10-wicket victory, marking a significant milestone in their cricketing history.On a day when the pitch’s cracks widened and the ball turned sharply, Bangladesh’s spin duo of Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan played pivotal roles in bundling Pakistan out for a mere 146, their lowest team total in Test matches against Bangladesh. This left the visitors with only 30 runs to chase, which they accomplished with ease, completing the formalities in just seven overs.Pakistan, resuming the final day at 23/1, were already on the back foot, trailing by 94 runs after Mushfiqur Rahim’s exceptional 191-run innings on Day 4 had put Bangladesh in a commanding position. The Bangladesh bowlers quickly built on the momentum, with Hasan Mahmud striking early to dismiss Shan Masood, forcing the Pakistan captain to depart after a successful review overturned the on-field umpire’s decision.Babar Azam, who nearly bagged a pair, survived an early scare but struggled to find his rhythm. After a brief period of resistance alongside Abdullah Shafique, Babar was bowled for 22 by Nahid Rana, leaving Pakistan at 66/3. From this point, the spinners took over, accelerating Pakistan’s collapse.Shakib Al Hasan’s left-arm spin claimed the prized wicket of Saud Shakeel, who fell for a four-ball duck, stumped while trying to advance down the track. Mohammad Rizwan then attempted to anchor the innings, adding crucial runs in a partnership with Shafique, but Shakib struck again, dismissing Shafique and reducing Pakistan to 105/6.Mehidy Hasan continued the onslaught, removing Agha Salman with a sharp delivery that was brilliantly caught at slip by Shadman Islam. After lunch, Pakistan’s situation worsened as they lost wickets in quick succession. Shaheen Afridi was trapped leg-before by Mehidy, and Naseem Shah’s attempt to counterattack ended in a simple catch to Mushfiqur Rahim.Rizwan, the lone fighter, reached a gritty half-century but soon fell to Mehidy’s cunning round-the-stumps bowling, which induced an inside edge that crashed into the stumps. With his dismissal for 51, Pakistan’s innings quickly wrapped up, with Mehidy finishing with impressive figures of 4-21.Bangladesh’s openers, Zakir Hasan and Shadman Islam, wasted no time in sealing the victory, chasing down the 30 runs required without losing a wicket, thus handing Bangladesh a momentous 10-wicket win.This triumph not only marked Najmul Hossain Shanto’s first Test win as captain but also set a new benchmark for Bangladesh cricket, as they recorded their first-ever Test victory against Pakistan on their soil.Brief Scores:
Pakistan 448/6 decl. (Mohammad Rizwan 171*, Saud Shakeel 141; Hasan Mahmud 2-70) & 146 (Mohammad Rizwan 51; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 4-21, Shakib Al Hasan 3-44)
Bangladesh 565 (Mushfiqur Rahim 191, Shadman Islam 93, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 77; Naseem Shah 3-93, Shaheen Afridi 2-88) & 30/0 by 10 wickets.

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