Pakistan cricket is far from its best right now, but few anticipated the blow they received from Bangladesh last week.
For much of that Test, Pakistan’s main concern seemed to be that a draw would hinder their push to reach the World Test Championship (WTC) final—a goal captain Shan Masood confidently spoke about before the series. However, five days later, Pakistan not only lost the match but also had six points deducted for slow overrates, leaving them near the bottom of the WTC table. A home series defeat to Bangladesh would be a significant embarrassment, especially considering Bangladesh's prior record of only six away Test wins in 25 years as Full Members, with two against a weakened West Indies in 2009 and another two against Zimbabwe.
Shan Masood, who has now lost all four Tests he's captained, suddenly finds himself under pressure. While Pakistan’s losses to Australia over the winter might have been excused as part of a long-term plan, a home series defeat to Bangladesh will not be easily forgiven. With tougher challenges ahead, including series against England and South Africa, Pakistan needs to avoid handing over this Test series trophy to retain any credibility with their fans. However, the weather in Rawalpindi complicates matters, as rain has already disrupted practice sessions and is forecast for the first day of the Test. Pakistan hesitated to confirm their playing XI, naming a 12-man squad with Abrar Ahmed and Mir Hamza both in contention. Masood stated that Pakistan had been the more proactive side last week, but with Bangladesh only needing a draw, his team must find a way to be more effective.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, finds itself in an unexpectedly strong position. Under Najmul Hossain Shanto's leadership, they outplayed and outsmarted the hosts, executing the basics flawlessly. They prepared for the final day by ensuring they had spinners ready and avoided declaring early, fearing rain that never came. They capitalised on Pakistan’s mistakes and secured a deserved ten-wicket victory.
While Bangladesh has more significant concerns back home, the unexpected joy of last week’s win was a welcome surprise. This Bangladesh team did not arrive with high expectations, but instead focused on exploiting Pakistan’s errors. They resisted the temptation to play overly aggressive cricket and stuck to their game plan, batting at a controlled pace and ignoring Pakistan’s attempts to push them into declaration bowling.
The victory was arguably Bangladesh’s greatest in Test cricket, but they know the job isn’t done yet. With one more Test ahead and Pakistan struggling to produce a favourable pitch, Bangladesh just needs to continue where they left off. The pressure is on Pakistan to make the moves, and as Bangladesh has shown, they won’t be easily displaced.
Form Guide:
- Pakistan: LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
- Bangladesh: WLLLW