Tigers' captain lost for words after Pakistan series win

RAWALPINDI, Sept 03 (AFP): Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was lost for words after Bangladesh sealed a landmark first-ever Test series win over Pakistan on Tuesday in Rawalpindi.

The visitors won the second and final Test by six wickets on the fifth day, chasing down a 185-run target for a 2-0 series victory.

Bangladesh were reeling on the third day of the rain-hit second Test on 26-6 but middle-order batsmen Litton Das (138) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (78) hauled them back into the match.

Rookie pacers Hasan Mahmud (5-43) and Nahid Rana (4-44) then demolished Pakistan for 172 on Monday to set Bangladesh on course for a stunning victory.

Bangladesh won the first Test -- also in Rawalpindi -- by 10 wickets, their first victory in 14 matches against Pakistan.

"We can't express feelings with words, we are really happy," said Najmul.

"I think before we came here we're looking to win, and the way everyone did their job made me really happy."

Najmul gave his bowlers special praise, saying their recent work had paid off. "Our bowlers were very impressive," he said.

The spinner Mehidy was player of the series while Hasan and Nahid also played starring roles.

Bangladesh next face India in an away two-match Test series starting from September 18.

"I hope they will do the same against India as well, which will be a very challenging series," said Najmul, whose team has never won a Test against India in 13 attempts.

Under-pressure Pakistan captain Shan Masood said his team needed to improve, and fast.

Masood has now lost all five Tests since being appointed skipper last year.

"We haven't learnt our lessons," he said. "We could have bowled them, especially after 26-6 down here, but we let them back in the game."

Pakistan next month face a formidable England, who inflicted Pakistan's first-ever 3-0 whitewash in 2022. Masood-led Pakistan also suffered a 3-0 whitewash against Australia earlier this year.

"I think now it's time where we've realised that we were playing good cricket in Australia and not finishing games, that's something that we really need to work on," he said.

He insisted that "it's never doom and gloom". "You always keep trying, you always come back," he said.

"You always learn from your mistakes and you try and give people a chance, and in this regards we are in the right direction."

espncricinfo.com adds: this series took place not long after the student protests in Bangladesh, which led to the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government and widespread violence subsequently, leading to many deaths.

The Bangladesh cricket team travelled to Pakistan earlier than scheduled to get in some practice, which they were unable to back home.

The shadow of the events back home stayed with the team, with Shakib Al Hasan, their star player and also a member of parliament of Hasina's Awami League party, being named with 146 others in a political murder case.

"You know there have been problems in Bangladesh - I dedicate this award to the student protestors who were martyred," Mehidy said when accepting his Player-of-the-Series award.

"A rickshaw-puller was hurt in the violence, and eventually died. I want to gift this award to his family."

Adams took charge only in February this year, and when asked what the win meant to the people back in Bangladesh, said, "I don't know what it means to all of Bangladesh, but I know Bangladesh is a very proud nation, so we are incredibly happy with these results given the turmoil over the last couple of months.

"We were there at the time, and it was pretty scary. But we're happy that things are returning to normal."

Meanwhile, there were useful contributions from across the XI, but Bangladesh's win in the second Test against Pakistan was orchestrated by their youngsters.

Especially Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana, 24 and 21 respectively, who picked up nine wickets between them in the second innings to set up the 185-run chase.

"They wanted to win, that was very important," Najmul Hossain Shanto, the Bangladesh captain, said after the win when asked about his young pace duo.

"As a fast bowler, I was looking for wickets, and the boys, our effort [with the ball], we really deserved it," Mahmud said. "You have to take advantage [of conditions] as fast bowlers, and you've got to keep working hard together, and especially in red-ball cricket, it's important to get the benefit from your fast bowlers as well as spinners, all together. It was a valiant effort."

Mahmud and Rana set the pulse racing, as fast bowlers do when they get the better of batters, repeatedly, but the match and series awards went to two more experienced men. Litton Das got the match award for his 138 in the first innings.