Bangladesh beat Pakistan by 78 runs to clinch Test series 2-0

Spinner Taijul Islam took six wickets to lead Bangladesh to a 78-run win over Pakistan in the second Test and clinch a famous 2-0 series win on Wednesday.

Pakistan, who started the fifth day on 316-7 while chasing a record 437, were bowled out for 328 in the first session in Sylhet after Mohammad Rizwan hit a valiant 94.

It was Bangladesh’s first Test series win at home against Pakistan and a second successive sweep after their 2-0 triumph on Pakistani soil in 2024.

Wicketkeeper Rizwan kept Pakistan in the hunt for an unlikely win with a 166-ball stay after the visitors had slumped to 162-5 on day four.

Rizwan put on an eighth-wicket partnership of 54 with overnight partner Sajid Khan, who made 28.

Taijul broke through to dismiss Sajid for his 18th Test five-wicket haul and Shoriful Islam had Rizwan caught in the next over to end Pakistan’s resistance.

Taijul took the final wicket of Khurram Shahzad to return figures of 6-120 and trigger Bangladesh celebrations.

The left-arm spinner also took 3-67 during Pakistan’s first innings 232.

Bangladesh wicketkeeper Litton Das scored 126 in their first-innings 278.

Veteran batsman Mushfiqur Rahim scored 137 in the second to guide Bangladesh to 390, with contributions from Mahmudul Hasan Joy (52) and Litton (69).

Bangladesh, led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, won the opening Test by 104 runs.

Speaking after the match, captain Shaan Masood coneded that there were “a lot of mistakes”.

“There were things we didn’t do well enough in the first three innings and that’s why the effort on the fourth and fifth day didn’t really materialise into a win,” he said, according to ESPNcricinfo.

He added that Test cricket was “unforgiving” and played by the “best of the best”.

“You’re not going to get any easy games, you have to grind results out, and that’s what you have to do as a side,” he said.