How Nahid Rana’s one spell won the game for Bangladesh

4.5 overs, two maidens, 10 runs, and four wickets. This was the match-winning bowling spell produced by Nahid Rana after he was brought back into the attack for his second spell in the final session of the opening Test against Pakistan in Mirpur on Tuesday. The spell proved decisive as Bangladesh thrashed Pakistan by 104 runs to secure their first-ever Test victory over the neighbouring nation on home soil.

The match swung like a pendulum several times on the final day after Bangladesh resumed on 152 for three. They eventually declared their second innings at 240 for nine, setting Pakistan a target of 268, knowing history was on their side -- no team had ever chased more than 209 in the fourth innings to win a Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

Despite losing Imam-ul-Haq early, Pakistan fought back through debutant Abdullah Fazal, who scored his second fifty of the match. Even after slipping to 121 for five in the 33rd over, Pakistan looked to rebuild as Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan stitched together a 31-run partnership for the sixth wicket, taking their score to 152 for five in the 45th over.

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At that stage, Pakistan needed 116 runs with five wickets in hand, and with around 22 overs still possible if light permitted, all three results remained on the table.

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, who had a magnificent match with scores of 101 and 87 and also impressed with his tactical decisions, once again showed his captaincy acumen by bringing Rana back into the attack.

Rana had endured a difficult first innings, finishing with figures of one for 104 from 21 overs. He had also conceded 30 runs in five overs during his first spell in the second innings. But he repaid his captain’s trust immediately, forcing Saud Shakeel (15) to edge behind to wicketkeeper Litton Das and providing Bangladesh with the breakthrough they desperately needed.

However, Pakistan’s most experienced batter, Rizwan, was still at the crease. Rana then delivered one of the most spectacular inswingers of the match, deceiving Rizwan, who shouldered arms only to watch his stumps being uprooted in the very next over. That dismissal brought a huge sigh of relief to the Bangladesh camp as they began to sense victory.

Taijul Islam joined the party by dismissing Hasan Ali for one in the following over, before Rana continued his heroics by trapping Noman Ali lbw for four, leaving Bangladesh just one wicket away from a famous win.

Although Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Abbas resisted for four overs and briefly raised concerns in the Bangladesh camp about a possible late escape, Rana eventually ended the contest. He bowled a sharp short delivery that Afrifi failed to negotiate, and the ball lobbed to forward short leg where Mominul Haque completed the catch.

The wicket not only gave Rana career-best figures of five for 40 and his second five-wicket haul in Test cricket, but also sealed a remarkable victory for Bangladesh.

Pakistan lost their last five wickets for just 11 runs, and Rana once again became Pakistan’s nightmare after his brilliant performances in Rawalpindi in 2024 that helped the Tigers to their maiden Test series win over the opposition and their series-winning performance in the ODI series in Mirpur earlier this year.