In a stunning turn of events, Bangladesh fought back from a dismal start of 26/6 to neutralize Pakistan's dominant performance in the 2nd Test. Led by a brilliant century from Litton Das and a solid knock by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the visitors fell just 12 runs short of Pakistan's first innings total. The loss has sparked criticism from Pakistani cricketer Ahmed Shehzad who is disappointed by the team's performance and questions the capabilities of domestic players to replace underperforming stars.
Despite Bangladesh's lead in the two-match series, a historic 10-wicket win, the opening day of the second test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh was washed out due to persistent rain. Both teams are in the bottom half of the World Test Championship standings and Pakistan has not won a home test since December 2021. Pakistan has dropped Shaheen Shah Afridi and named Mir Hamza and Abrar Ahmed in their 12-man squad.
Pakistani batsman Ahmad Shehzad did not hold back in his criticism of skipper Shan Masood following the Pakistan cricket team's first Test loss against Bangladesh in 14 games. Shehzad questioned Masood's ability to lead and criticized his performance as both a batter and captain. The video of his comments has gone viral on social media, with many fans also expressing their frustration with Masood's leadership. Shehzad specifically called out Masood's tactical decisions, including his selection of the playing XI and his inability to read the pitch correctly. He also stated that fans are now losing interest in watching Pakistan play cricket due to Masood's leadership.
After a long history of losses and draws, Bangladesh's men's cricket team finally achieved their first-ever victory against Pakistan in Test cricket. With a strong batting performance and exceptional bowling from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib al Hasan, Bangladesh secured a remarkable 10-wicket win over Pakistan in the first test of the series. This victory also marks the first time a visiting team has beaten Pakistan by 10 wickets on their home ground in Test cricket history.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood is facing backlash from fans after a "senseless" declaration in the first Test against Bangladesh allowed the visitors to take a lead. Mushfiqur Rahim's masterful 191 and contributions from the rest of the Bangladesh lineup saw the team surpass Pakistan's first-innings total and take a 117-run lead. Fans have criticised Masood's decision to leave out spinner Abrar Ahmed and declare the innings at 448/6, which seemed to backfire as Bangladesh piled on the runs in their first innings.
As Pakistan and Bangladesh gear up for their two-match Test series, both teams are under pressure to secure crucial World Test Championship points. With Pakistan coming off a disappointing series against Australia and Bangladesh struggling to find their form, this series will be a test of their abilities. The first Test will begin in Rawalpindi on August 21, followed by the second match on August 30, which has been relocated from Karachi due to stadium renovations. Pakistan has already announced their Playing XI, giving a sneak peek into their strategy for the series.