Pace dominance unleashed: Bangladesh's fast bowlers make history in Test cricket
To win a Test match, excellence is required in all three departments: batting, bowling, and fielding. Yet, the ability to take 20 wickets remains the decisive factor. For Bangladesh, this has long been their Achilles’ heel.
In the second and final Test against Pakistan, Bangladesh's pacers scripted a historic chapter. For the first time ever, Bangladesh's fast bowlers claimed all 10 wickets in a single innings of an opponent, as Pakistan was bowled out for 172 runs in their second innings in Rawalpindi. The wickets were shared among three Bangladeshi pacers—Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, and Taskin Ahmed—each delivering with remarkable skill. All three, right-arm fast bowlers, operated with precision, troubling Pakistan's batters with sharp line and length at times, and raw pace at others.
To win a Test match, excellence is required in all three departments: batting, bowling, and fielding. Yet, the ability to take 20 wickets remains the decisive factor. For Bangladesh, this has long been their Achilles' heel. In the rare Test victories they've achieved, the bowlers have been pivotal, though their brilliance has been sporadic. The impact of the pacers, however, has been even more elusive.
For the decision-makers and fans of Bangladesh cricket, this performance was a clear statement: given the right pitches and conditions, Bangladesh's pacers are fully capable of dismantling opposition lineups. The tradition of preparing slow, spin-friendly wickets might occasionally outfox opponents, but it often suppresses the potential for such displays of brilliance from the fast bowlers.
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Of the trio, Hasan Mahmud was the standout. He registered his career-best figures, taking 5 wickets for 43 runs—his first five-wicket haul in Tests. In doing so, Hasan became the seventh Bangladeshi pacer to achieve a five-wicket haul in a Test innings, and notably, the first to do so on Pakistani soil. Nahid Rana, with his fiery pace, claimed 4 wickets, marking his best performance in his brief Test career. The remaining wicket was taken by the experienced Taskin Ahmed.
Hasan set the tone by claiming the first two wickets of Pakistan's innings. Taskin followed up with the third wicket before Nahid Rana took over, wreaking havoc. The 21-year-old, who made his Test debut just last March against Sri Lanka, bowled with searing pace, leaving Pakistan's batters helpless. In a span of just 19 runs, Nahid dismissed three batters, all caught behind by wicketkeeper Liton Das. Shan Masood, who scored 28, was one of his victims, followed by Babar Azam, whom Nahid removed with a stunning delivery.
Rizwan narrowly escaped being dismissed on the very next ball when Sadman Islam Anik dropped a catch at slip. But Nahid didn't allow the missed opportunity to haunt him for long, as he soon sent Saud Shakeel back to the pavilion. Taskin and Nahid's relentless pressure left Pakistan teetering at 81 for 6.
At that point, Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha mounted a resistance, stitching together a vital 55-run partnership that briefly pulled Pakistan back from the brink. But Hasan Mahmud broke through once again, claiming two wickets in the same over, including Rizwan, who scored a gritty 43 off 73 balls with five boundaries. Hasan's other victim was Mohammad Ali, and soon after, Nahid wrapped up the innings by dismissing Abrar Ahmed.
Although this marked the first time Bangladesh's pacers took all 10 wickets in a Test innings, it was not the first time they accomplished such a feat in international cricket. The first instance occurred in March of last year, during the third ODI against Ireland in Sylhet. In that match, Bangladesh bowled Ireland out for just 101 runs, securing a 10-wicket victory. Ebadot Hossain claimed 2 wickets for 29 runs, Taskin Ahmed grabbed 3 wickets for 26 runs, and Hasan Mahmud took 5 wickets for 32 runs, marking his best bowling figures across all formats.
The second instance came in December, during the third ODI against New Zealand in Napier. Bangladesh won that match by 9 wickets, with Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan, and Soumya Sarkar each taking 3 wickets, while Mustafizur Rahman claimed 1 wicket.
Though this was Bangladesh's first instance of taking all 10 wickets in a Test innings, such feats are far from rare in international cricket. Across the history of Test matches, it has happened 859 times. In ODIs, it has occurred 158 times, and in T20s, 24 times.
