Disgraceful defeat for Bangladesh at Mirpur

 

Almost three days of a Test match had been interfered with by inclement weather and with two days remaining, a dull draw was an expected result. But the home team – Bangladesh reached a new low by dishing out a staggering defeat within two days of the second and final Test at Mirpur. Since gaining the Test status – Bangladesh Cricket has earned shames of various kinds, but this new disgrace which had been earned at Mirpur cannot easily be accepted by any means.

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first.

The visitors saw off a tricky period just before lunch to end the first day, curtailed by rain and bad light, on top.

Babar Azam and Azhar Ali stabilized the innings that had been jolted by Taijul Islam before lunch, batting through either side of a brief rain delay to deny the hosts any further wickets before tea.

Babar brought up a fluid half-century while Azhar's innings was more of a battling knock as he shuffled on to 36 in 112 balls.

With the light fading, no further play was possible, meaning Pakistan had managed to get up to 161 for the loss of just the openers, and the chance to put together an impregnable first innings score.

On Day 2, Rain, which got heavier in the afternoon, allowed only thirty minutes of play.

Azhar Ali found enough time in the 6.2 overs bowled on day two to reach his 34th Test half-century, as Pakistan moved ahead by 27 runs without any further damages since the first morning.

Babar Azam, unbeaten on 71, tucked the first delivery of the day for four after Khaled Ahmed bowled it down the leg-side.

Azhar soon brought up the 100-run stand before he struck two fours off Ebadot Hossain to reach his fifty, off 126 balls.

 Day 3 was called off due to persistent rain and the Test match burst into life on the fourth day.

Pakistan declared after reaching 300 runs with Fawad Alam and Mohammad Rizwan reaching fifties and reply Bangladesh were in the mud.

Due to bad light, Babar was forced to operate with his spinners and guess what, Bangladesh found themselves in all sorts of trouble against Sajid Khan – who is not even Pakistan’s first-choice spinner.

Debutant Mahmudul Hasan Joy managed to edge a Said delivery to slip displaying his poor technique. Then, Hasan Ali made his presence felt at point, first with a simple catch to dismiss Shadman Islam before running out Mominul Haque with a direct hit.

Mushfiqur Rahim was the next to go, one ball after surviving a close leg before wicket call, as he tried to swing Sajid across the line with Fawad taking the catch at short midwicket – poor shot from a batsman with plenty of experience.

Then, Liton Das, sent ahead of Shakib Al Hasan, tried to attack Sajid but only hit one back to the bowler as Bangladesh slipped to 46 for 5.

Sajid then completed his five-for when he trapped Najmul Hossain Shanto for 30.

Shanto failed to cash in on his reprieves, first being dropped on 13 and later when he was caught behind off a Nauman Ali no-ball.

Under the grey skies – it was the spinners who tested and jolted the Bangladesh batting lineup.

Shakib tried to disturb the rhythm by flaying strokes, but Bangladesh kept losing wickets.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz became Sajid's sixth victim.

Shakib and Taijul Islam then survived 5.2 overs before play was called off.

On Day 5, Sajid bagged two more wickets and cemented his name in the elite list of bowlers in the history of Pakistan cricket.

Bangladesh were shot out for 87 and Babar enforce the follow on.

It was a matter of whether Bangladesh would be able to halt the disgrace or not.

Ultimately they failed.

Joy was done and dusted by a trademark Hasan dismissal to right-hand batters, drawing the opener on the front foot before the ball shaping back in, sneaking through the gap between bat and pad to knock back the stumps.

Then Shadman Islam was trapped in front by Afridi, who had set him up with away-swingers before bringing one in that clattered into his pads.

Hasan thudded one into Mominul’s pads in front of the stumps, before a brute of a short delivery saw Najmul Hossain helplessly scoop one up to gully off the splice of the bat.

Mushfiq and Liton joined together at the crease and arrested a collapse like Day 4.

 Liton, in particular, did well to unsettle the spinners on a pitch that, with capable batters at the crease, appeared to cast its demons off. There was a moment of fortune for Liton against the luckless Nauman, Ali who drew his outside edge, only for no one to realize it and appeal for caught behind.

They saw off what was left off the new ball, and looked to score off Sajid when introduced, adamant not to repeat the mistakes of the first innings. They continued in much the same way post-lunch, stretching the partnership to 73 before Sajid broke through.

Shakib and Mushfiq – two of the most experienced campaigners from Bangladesh were at the crease and easily Bangladesh could dream of a face-saving draw.

Mushfiq battled on while Shakib opted for a more conventional, sedate approach compared to his high-risk strokeplay in the first innings. All of that was overshadowed, though, by a decision to come through for a high-risk single minutes before the tea break. Mushfiqur put in a dive, but his bat had popped up before grounding and after lengthy deliberations, the third umpire sent him on his way.

Bangladesh looked as if they might just hold on after all in the final session when Shakib  - who scored a battling, valiant 63 - and Mehidy Hasan Miraz saw off the first hour of the final session without incident. But Babar came to bowl and fetched his first-ever international wicket by trapping Miraz – who played a shot that was against the demand of the situation.

Shakib departed against a quicker one from Sajid.

The great heist was on, and even more when Khaled Ahmed feathered one to Mohammad Rizwan. Pakistan were suddenly just one wicket away.

At the same time, Bangladesh were creeping up to the magical 213 mark, at which Pakistan would be forced to bat again. With light soon poor enough to rule the fast bowlers out of the contest, Bangladesh would likely only need nine more runs to effectively seal a draw.

Taijul and Ebadot Hossain decided against that option, preferring to block their way through until light came to their rescue. A frantic Babar whizzed through his bowling options; while Sajid was a fixture from one end, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Nauman Ali and even Babar himself turned their arm over from the other. But it was Sajid who had the final say as Taijul found himself struck in front, with the review failing to provide the stunned hosts with any respite.

Pakistan would leave Bangladesh victorious while Bangladesh were left pondering on their lack of commitment.

Note: Input from ESPNcricinfo

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 08/12/2021 Disgraceful defeat for Bangladesh at Mirpur

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Faisal Caesar