‘Special victory for us’: Najmul Hossain Shanto reacts after Bangladesh beat Pakistan by 10 wickets

Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto admitted it was a special win for them after they defeated Pakistan by 10 wickets at Rawalpindi on Sunday. This is the first time when the Tigers defeated Pakistan in a Test match. Furthermore, this was only their seventh win in Tests in overseas conditions.

The visitors posted a massive score of 565 runs after Pakistan decided to declare on 448-6 in the first innings. Ergo, the tourists were able to take a 117-run lead to get ahead in the game.

Subsequently, Bangladesh was able to skittle out Pakistan for a paltry score of 146 runs in the second innings, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan bagging four and three wickets respectively. The visitors then chased down 30 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

“It was a very important win for us because last month we had a difficult situation in Bangladesh. There are still some problems there but in Bangladesh we support each other and I am happy this win gives them a little bit of a smile on their faces,” he said at the post-match conference after the 10-wicket win.

“We are happy with our performance and we just want to give more joy to our people in the second match as well. It was a special victory for us especially given how we adjusted to the hot conditions and pitch here,” Shanto added.

Shanto showered praise on the spin duo of Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan, who delivered in the second innings. 

“I think Shakib and Miraz bowled very well today given the conditions and we knew that with a 90-run advantage Pakistan would be under pressure on the final day,” he said.

Mushfiqur Rahim also scored a superb knock of 191 runs in the first innings and Shanto said the veteran batter deserves a lot of credit.

“Mushfiq bhai played an outstanding innings but overall I think everyone contributed and it was a big team effort. I am happy that all the hard work we put into preparing for this series we have now ticked all the boxes in this match,” he said.

The second Test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh will be played at Rawalpindi from Friday onwards.