Pakistan suffered an embarrassing 10-wicket defeat against Bangladesh after shocking turnarounds on the fifth day of the Test.
Pakistan suffered an embarrassing 10-wicket defeat against Bangladesh after shocking turnarounds on the fifth day of the Test. The game looked slow-paced and tepid on the first four days when the batters kept tiring the bowlers.
That led to questions about the surface’s quality in Rawalpindi, for the track had no help for the bowlers after some early help for Bangladeshi bowlers. However, things changed drastically on the last day, and Pakistan went on to what they are known for.
Bangladesh made a game out of nothing due to superb bowling performances from the spin duo Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan. The duo took seven wickets between them to bundle Pakistan on a mere 146 in the third innings of the game.
Bangladeshi spinners were accurate with their lines and lengths and extracted something off a tiring deck to shock the opponent. Later, Bangladesh required only 30 runs to win and chased the target without losing wickets, registering their maiden win against Pakistan.
Former Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi has expressed frustration via his X (formerly Twitter) account, slamming the decision-makers for their inability to read the conditions properly. He questioned the type of pitch prepared for the game and the reason behind playing four specialist pacers and leaving their spinner.
“A 10-wicket defeat raises serious questions about the decision to prepare this type of pitch, select four fast bowlers and leave out a specialist spinner. This to me clearly shows a lack of awareness about home conditions. That said, you cannot take the credit away from Bangladesh for the brand of cricket they played throughout the Test”
A 10-wicket defeat raises serious questions about the decision to prepare this type of pitch, select four fast bowlers and leave out a specialist spinner. This to me clearly shows a lack of awareness about home conditions. That said, you cannot take the credit away from…
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) August 25, 2024
Indeed, it was shocking to see Pakistan fielding as many as four pacers, especially after the track favoured spinners heavily as the game moved. Agha Salman had to bowl as many as 41 overs in the first innings since he was the only reliable spinner.
There was definitely some room for Abrar Ahmed in the place of one of the pacers, especially since they had to bowl in the second and fourth innings. It was a complete mismanagement, and Pakistan’s poor tactics cost them the match.
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