“He was just brilliant”: Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain hails Mehidy Hasan’s performance against Pakistan in 2nd Test

Rawalpindi [Pakistan], September 4 (ANI): Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto showered praise on Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s performance in the second Test match against Pakistan and said that it was “brilliant”.

Miraz scored 155 runs in his two innings and scalped a total of 10 wickets in the two-match Test series.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Najmul Hossain was asked about Miraz’s performance and said that it was “unbelievable” for him to see a spinner taking five wickets.

“He was just brilliant. The way he bowled on the first day on this wicket – a spinner taking five wickets, it was unbelievable. It was something else,” Shanto was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying.

Miraz was later asked about Bangladesh bowlers’ performance on foreign pitches when the 26-year-old said that they can take wickets abroad too.

The Bangladesh bowler added that his performance will help him to gain confidence in the future.

“Now you can say that we take wickets abroad too. To be honest, you cannot make a Test player in one or two days. You have to give him time. You have to allow him to do well. It takes time for him to settle into a role and dominate in world cricket. The more time he gets, the better he will be. Maybe my home performances gave me a certain kind of mindset, but now that I am bowling well abroad, I will have this as a reference point to do well in the future. It raises your confidence for the next big series abroad. Confidence comes from records and references. I have both now. I will be more confident next time,” Miraz said.

The 10-wicket victory in the first match marked Bangladesh’s maiden Test win over Pakistan. A repeat of this performance in the second Test solidified a historic achievement for the team.

This series victory is also Bangladesh’s first Test series win (of two matches or more) against a team other than Zimbabwe and the West Indies, according to the ICC.

The win has boosted Bangladesh in the ICC World Test Championship standings, propelling them to No. 4 with a points percentage of 45.83, leapfrogging England.

Beginning the fifth day on 42/0, needing 143 more runs to win, Bangladesh got off to a steady start, inching towards the modest target without taking too many risks. They added another 80 runs in the morning session but lost both openers within the space of 12 runs.

Despite the wickets, the experienced duo of Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque put together a 57-run stand to keep the visitors on track. Shanto was dismissed soon after lunch for 38, and Mominul perished for 34, causing Bangladesh to stutter slightly towards the end.

However, the veteran pair of Mushfiqur Rahim (22*) and Shakib Al Hasan (21*) persisted and guided Bangladesh over the line without further hiccups.

Earlier in the Test, after opting to field first, Bangladesh produced another fantastic performance, bowling Pakistan out for a modest 274 runs. Despite half-centuries from captain Shan Masood and opener Saim Ayub, Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s five-wicket haul, combined with three wickets from Taskin Ahmed, ensured that Pakistan’s first-innings total remained within reach.

Pakistan responded brilliantly with the ball, with Khurram Shahzad leading the fightback with a six-wicket haul that gave the home team a slim lead of 12 runs.

However, Bangladesh’s bowlers were not done. Two more heroes stepped up for the visitors–24-year-old Hasan Mahmud and 21-year-old Nahid Rana–who took a combined nine wickets between them as Pakistan collapsed for just 172 runs in the second innings, setting Bangladesh a target of 185 with four sessions left in the game.
Poor weather and bad light stopped play early on Day 4 but only delayed the inevitable as the visitors wrapped up the Test with six wickets to spare.