Pakistan find a new low again. The men’s team that had promised to usher in a new era under Sarfaraz Ahmed has dealt a huge loss as Bangladesh has completed a Test series whitewash over them. After hammering them away from home in 2024, Najmul Hossain Shanto and his men have done it again, recording their first-ever whitewash over Pakistan at home in history!
In Sylhet, Bangladesh always had an upper hand. Bangladesh built their first Test win in Dhaka on the back of pacers, while this win saw Taijul Islam taking six wickets in the fourth innings. With a handsome win by 78 runs, Bangladesh have jumped to fifth on the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, leapfrogging India, England and Pakistan.
Fascinatingly, Pakistan have now lost a Test series to Bangladesh, an ODI series to them and as well as a T20I rubber too. All in the span of last ten months.
How Bangladesh outclassed Pakistan
The foundation of this win was laid much earlier in the match. Asked to bat first under difficult overcast conditions, Bangladesh were reduced to 116/6 before Litton Das once again rescued them with a stunning counter-attacking 126. That innings shifted the momentum of the entire Test. Pakistan then squandered their chance by collapsing for 232 despite Babar Azam’s 68 on comeback, giving Bangladesh a crucial 46-run lead. Then came Mushfiqur Rahim.
The veteran batter produced one of the defining innings of Bangladesh’s recent Test history, smashing 137 off 233 balls with 12 fours and five sixes. He became the Bangladeshi with the most Test centuries and broke multiple records. Litton chipped in with another fifty, while Mahmudul Hasan Joy added a composed 52. Bangladesh eventually set Pakistan a gigantic target of 437.
Pakistan did show some resistance. Mohammad Rizwan’s aggressive 94 and Salman Agha’s 71 threatened to drag the game deep into the final session. On Day 4, Shan Masood also scored 71, but chasing 437 was always going to require something extraordinary. The Bangladesh bowling attack once again proved too good for Pakistan.
Taijul Islam, one of the many underrated Bangladeshi bowlers, took charge. The left-arm spinner ran through Pakistan’s batting order with figures of 6/120, fittingly taking the final wicket himself as Sylhet erupted in celebration. Khurram Shahzad’s slog found Tanzid Hasan Tamim at deep midwicket, sealing one of Bangladesh’s greatest Test wins.
ICC World Test Championship 2023–25 Points Table (Updated)
| Pos | Team | M | W | L | D | N/R | PTS | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 87.50 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 77.78 |
| 3 | South Africa | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 75.00 |
| 4 | Sri Lanka | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 66.67 |
| 5 | Bangladesh | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 58.33 |
| 6 | India | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 48.15 |
| 7 | England | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 31.67 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8.33 |
| 9 | West Indies | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4.17 |
This is no longer a one-off upset. Bangladesh have now beaten Pakistan in four successive Tests.
Bangladesh vs Pakistan in last four Tests
| Result | Venue |
|---|---|
| Bangladesh won by 10 wickets | Rawalpindi |
| Bangladesh won by 6 wickets | Rawalpindi |
| Bangladesh won by 104 runs | Dhaka |
| Bangladesh won by 78 runs | Sylhet |
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