Daily Times

RAWALPINDI: Clinical Pakistan overwhelmed Bangladesh by an innings and 44 runs inside four days of the first Test at the Rawalpindi Stadium here Monday. With the win in less than 90 minutes, Pakistan secured a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series. The second Test will be played in Karachi from April 5-9. Bangladesh had only agreed to tour Pakistan in three phases due to security concerns over a long stay, first playing a three-match Twenty20 series last month. They will also play a one-day international in Karachi (April 3) before the second Test at National Stadium Karachi. Pakistan won the T20I series 2-0 last month at Lahore, with the third game abandoned because of rain. With the victory, Pakistan gained 60 points in the World Test Championship, taking their tally to 140 points. India lead the nine-team championship table with 360 points followed by Australia (246) and England (146). Top two teams on the championship table will play the final at Lord’s in June 2021.

Resuming on 126-6 after conceding a first-innings lead of 212, Bangladesh could not make Pakistan bat again and were all out for 168. Yasir Shah (4-58) claimed two of the last four wickets. The onus was on Mominul Haq (41) to try to erase the deficit but the Bangladesh skipper fell lbw to Shaheen Shah Afridi in the very first over of the day. Mominul reviewed the decision but could not get it overturned. Mohammad Abbas trapped Rubel Hossain (o5) lbw before Yasir hastened Bangladesh’s collapse. The leg-spinner dismissed Liton Das for 29 and then induced Abu Jayed into a wild slog with Asad Shafiq running back from slip to collect the top edge. On Sunday, teenage paceman Naseem Shah became the youngest player to record a Test hat trick as Pakistan closed in on victory against the visitors. He finished with 4-26. Naseem, who didn’t bowl yesterday, was awarded the Man of the Match award.

Pakistan’s victory was on the cards after they bowled Bangladesh out for 233 in the first innings and then piled up 445 in reply, with Babar Azam smashing 143 and Shan Masood 100. This becomes Bangladesh’s sixth defeat in 14 months, including their fifth by an innings. They have yet to score a championship point in three Tests. Home captain Azhar Ali hailed Pakistan’s effort and was particularly pleased with how smartly they had used the review option in both Bangladesh’s innings. “One of those games where we can be proud of our reviews, credit to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and the other guys for supporting me there,” he said. “Usually we’re not good at it but this is a very good start for us to carry forward.” Bangladesh captain Mominul felt things could have been different if some of his team mates had converted their starts. “It was a flat wicket and our batting was quite disappointing,” he said. “It becomes very difficult for any team if batsmen get out after getting the starts.
No team can come back from such situations.”