Pakistan's hopes of reaching the World Test Championship 2023-25 final have come to an end
In a rain-affected Test match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, Bangladesh secured a commanding six-wicket victory over Pakistan, completing a 2-0 series sweep.
This historic win marks Bangladesh's first-ever Test series triumph against Pakistan and only their third Test series victory outside their home soil.
Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan played crucial roles, guiding Bangladesh to the 185-run target with unbeaten knocks of 22* and 21*, respectively. The duo joined forces after the dismissal of Mominul Haque (34) and led their team to victory just before tea on the final day.
The first Test saw Mushfiqur’s outstanding 191 runs set the stage for Bangladesh’s dominance, supported by Shakib’s key four-wicket haul, including a game-changing 3 for 44. Pakistan's struggles in Test cricket at home continue, with this defeat marking their sixth loss in 10 matches since February 2021.
Under captain Shan Masood, who has lost five consecutive Tests, and coach Jason Gillespie, Pakistan faces a challenging future. Their next Test against England on 7 October will be a critical opportunity to regroup, but their hopes for the ICC World Test Championship final have been dashed.
Litton Das was named Player of the Match for his vital 138 runs in the first innings, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz earned Player of the Series honors with 155 runs and 10 wickets.
Bangladesh XI: Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mominul Islam, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wk), Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana
Pakistan XI: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Abrar Ahmed, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Khurram Shahzad