Late breakthroughs on the fourth day of the Sylhet Test on Tuesday took Bangladesh close to the victory and another 2-0 series whitewash over Pakistan.
Heading into the final day, Bangladesh require three more wickets to seal the win, while Pakistan still need 121 runs to draw level in the two-match series.
Mohammad Rizwan, unbeaten on 75, remains Pakistan’s biggest hope of pulling off an unlikely win.
Pakistan’s resistance was largely built around Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha, who shared a fighting 134-run partnership to frustrate the hosts after Bangladesh appeared close to wrapping up the match by taking key wickets of Babar Azam (47) and skipper Shan Masood (71) in quick succession.
However, spinner Taijul Islam struck twice in the final half hour to swing momentum firmly back in Bangladesh’s favour. Having bowled for long spells throughout Tuesday, Taijul broke the crucial stand and exposed Pakistan’s lower order.
Rizwan and Agha had come together after Pakistan lost three quick wickets, with Bangladesh sensing a rapid finish. Instead, the pair batted for more than three hours, initially counterattacking before weathering persistent spin and pace pressure from the home side.
Even with attacking field placements around them, both batters continued to score regularly, using aggressive footwork against the spinners and capitalising on loose deliveries from the seamers.
Frustration among the Bangladesh players became visible late in the day when tensions briefly rose between Rizwan and Litton Das over delays caused by sightscreen interruptions. Despite the heated moments, the Pakistan pair remained composed and steadily guided the innings towards stumps.
Bangladesh finally regained control when Taijul, bowling alongside Nahid Rana with the new ball in hand, delivered one that skidded through Agha’s defence and shattered the stumps, triggering emotional celebrations from the home side.
Pakistan’s tail then offered little resistance, with Hasan Ali dismissed soon after, leaving Bangladesh just three wickets away from completing the job.
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