Bangladesh thumps Pakistan in 2nd test to complete historic clean sweep

Bangladesh completed a second-test victory against Pakistan on the last afternoon Tuesday and achieved an historic sweep of the series. Needing 143 more runs on the final day with 10 wickets in hand, Bangladesh knocked them off for the loss of four wickets when Shakib Al Hasan hit the winning boundary through the covers. Bangladesh recorded only its second overseas series win; the last was against the West Indies in 2009.

The tourists won the opening test by 10 wickets and required just four days in the second after the first day was washed out in Rawalpindi. “It (the series win) means a lot ... really happy,” Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said. “Everyone chipped in in this series, it's totally a team game. I hope this culture will go forward.” Coming into the series, Bangladesh had lost 12 of its last 13 tests against Pakistan and drew the other in 2015 at home. But Shanto said the team believed in itself this time.

“Before we came here we were looking to win,” Shanto said. “The way everyone did their job, really happy ... the most important thing is their work ethic.” Bangladesh was 26-6 in the first innings but Litton Das' 138 and Mehidy Hasan Miraz's 78 allowed Pakistan only a 12-run lead. Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana and Taskin Ahmed then dismissed Pakistan for 172 in the second innings — the first time Bangladesh fast bowlers have taken all 10 wickets in an innings — and left Bangladesh a victory target of 184 in four sessions.

The top order showed plenty of resilience to flatten Pakistan plans of a dramatic comeback on the final day, with meaningful contributions from opener Zakir Hasan (40), Shanto (38) and Mominul Haque (34). Shakib, 21 not out and Mushfiqur Rahim, 22 not out, expertly finished the chase at 185-4 in the 56th over. Pakistan missed chances when it chose not to review when fast bowler Mohammad Ali found the edge of Zakir's bat in the third over on Tuesday after Bangladesh resumed on 42 without loss. And Salman Ali Agha couldn't hold onto a difficult catch of Shadman Islam in the slips.

Shanto and Mominul then kept Pakistan's pacers at bay and watchfully played out leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who finally got his first wicket in the match when Mominul miscued to mid-off. The result extended Pakistan's miserable home record in tests to 10 consecutive matches without a win in 2 1/2 years. That's happened only once before, when Pakistan lost 11 straight at home from 1969-75. Shan Masood is the first Pakistan captain to lose his first five tests.

“Extremely disappointed, especially when you start the home season,” Masood said. “The story has been a bit of the same, like, Australia (series lost 3-0 in January). We haven't learnt our lessons.” England come to Pakistan next for three tests next month. “It's never doom and gloom," Masood said. “You always keep trying, you always come back. You try and give people a chance and I think that we're heading in the right direction.”

Pakistan cricket reached its lowest ebb while nosediving to a six-wicket defeat against Bangladesh in the second Test, and stalwarts termed the 0-2 series defeat as “hurting.”

It was Pakistan’s sixth defeat in their last 10 Tests at home and this was also the first time Bangladesh have beaten their neighbours in a Test and series. “It is hurting that our cricket has come to this stage. Bangladesh deserve credit for their disciplined performances. But the way our batting has collapsed in this series is a bad sign,” former Test captain Javed Miandad said. The second Test saw the Bangladesh batters dominate the second innings after Pakistan dropped pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi from the eleven and rested Naseem Shah.

Pakistan had Bangladesh reeling on 26 for 6 in their first innings before centurion Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz produced a spectacular partnership to rescue their side.

Miandad felt that the players have lost confidence because of the bickering in the Pakistan board.

“I wouldn’t just blame the players because whatever has happened in the board (PCB) in the last one and half years and the captaincy and management changes have affected the team,” he said.

Former captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq said losing three series and going without a win at home in nine Tests was a worrying record.

“Home series were always considered our best chance of beating the best sides in the past. But for this to happen the batsmen need to get runs,” he said.

Pakistan’s record-breaking batsman Younis Khan said when a team enters a losing streak mentally it becomes difficult to come back.

“Our batters have got runs in the past but right now I think they need mental strengthening and a clear mind to overcome this crisis,” he said.

Former Test batter, Ahmed Shezad, however, blasted the batters saying they hopped around against the Bangladesh pacers.

“If you can’t handle a bit of pace and movement even at home then the future is not very bright for us,” he said.

Former Test spinner, Iqbal Qasim asked the team management to groom existing and upcoming spinners as Pakistan’s best chance of doing well at home was through spin bowlers and giving them helpful pitches.

“We don't have bowlers of the calibre of Sarfaraz Nawaz, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar or Shoaib now. So, we should be banking on our spinners to win us Tests at home.”

Now with the latest setback, Pakistan’s chances of even getting close to the final of the World Test Championship appears to have ended.

Captain Shan Masood’s lack of runs has added to his nightmarish run as the leader as he has now lost all five Tests at home, and he was not helped by the struggles of

senior batter Babar Azam.

However, the word is that red-ball coach Jason Gillispie and his white-ball counterpart Gary Kirsten have advised the PCB and selectors to not press the panic button as it

will further dent the confidence of the players.

Meanwhile, Gillispie and high-performance coach Tim Nielsen will fly home to Australia for a short break.