Yasir, Naseem guide Pakistan to innings win against Bangladesh

Pakistani pacers cleaned up the Bangladesh lower order just in an hour to complete a comprehensive win in the first Test in Rawalpindi.

Bangladesh, who had conceded a 212-run first-innings lead and had gone into stumps on the third day at 126/6, lost their last four wickets for 38 runs. In all, they made 42 runs on the fourth morning, with Liton Das, who was yet to open his account on Sunday, making 29 of them.

Legspinner Yasir Shah claimed two of those four wickets to draw level with 16-year-old pacer Naseem Shah, as both finished with four wickets each. Naseem took home the Player of the Match award for his five wickets in the game, including a hat-trick on the third evening.

Mominul Haque was the first to fall on Monday, when he was trapped lbw by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the day’s first over. Liton then took over the scoring and dominated an eighth-wicket stand of 26 with Rubel Hossain, who resisted for 26 balls, making 5 in the process. But once that stand was broken, the innings fizzled out quickly, as Bangladesh lost their last three wickets for 12 runs.

Bangladesh had put up a slightly better performance in the first innings, when their middle order collectively chipped in, but Afridi made sure to keep them to 233. In response, Pakistan coasted on centuries from Shan Masood and Babar Azam, and fifties from Asad Shafiq and Haris Sohail to rack up 445, before their bowlers ensured they wouldn’t have to bat again.