Bangladesh vs Pakistan: Mehidy’s Five-Wicket Haul Gives Bangladesh the Upper Hand in 2nd Test
Bangladesh vs Pakistan Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz claimed five wickets to help Bangladesh dismiss Pakistan for 274 on the second day of the second Test in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
The 26-year-old achieved his 10th five-wicket haul in Test cricket, marking a significant performance for the visitors who are aiming for their third-ever away series victory.
By the end of the day, Bangladesh had reached 10-0, despite opener Shadman Islam being dropped by Saud Shakeel off Mir Hamza’s first delivery.
Mehidy was instrumental in Bangladesh’s strong position, dismissing Pakistan captain Shan Masood for 57 and opener Saim Ayub for 58, after Pakistan had been well-placed at 99-1 at lunch.
In the first Test a week ago, Mehidy produced match-winning figures of 4-21, leading Bangladesh to a 10-wicket victory. In this match, he claimed Khurram Shahzad for 12, and then took out Mohammad Ali and Abrar Ahmed to finish with 5-61.
Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed supported well with figures of 3-57. He took Salman Agha, who was dropped on zero by Zakir Hasan off Shakib Al Hasan, as his third wicket. Agha scored 54, including three boundaries and two sixes.
Bangladesh’s previous 10-wicket victory in the first Test, also in Rawalpindi, marked their first win over Pakistan in 14 attempts.
Desperate to level the series, Pakistan started strongly but lost wickets regularly, collapsing from a solid 107-1 to 274 all out on a slow, greenish pitch.
Taskin dismissed first Test centurion Saud Shakeel for 16, who had previously survived a dropped catch by Mehidy off Nahid Rana.
Babar Azam, who fell leg-before to Shakib Al Hasan for 31, is now without a half-century in his last 15 Test innings.
Rain had washed out the first day’s play on Friday, but Pakistan showed solid batting in the first session when play resumed. Masood, under pressure after scores of six and 14 in the first Test, managed two boundaries before falling leg-before to Mehidy shortly after lunch. Ayub, more aggressive, hit two sixes and four boundaries before being stumped by wicketkeeper Liton Das off Mehidy.
Taskin, brought in for the injured Shoriful Islam as Bangladesh’s only change, dismissed Abdullah Shafique for nought off the sixth ball of the match.
Pakistan made two changes from the first Test, resting Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah in favor of pace bowler Mir Hamza and spinner Abrar Ahmed.
The series is part of the World Test Championship, with Pakistan currently ranked eighth and Bangladesh seventh in the nine-team standings.
