Bangladesh sweep series v Pakistan despite Rizwan defiance

DHAKA (Reuters) : Bangladesh completed a 2-0 series sweep against Pakistan with a 78-run victory in the second Test in Sylhet despite Mohammad Rizwan’s defiant 94 in a failed chase on Wednesday.

Chasing 437 for a series-levelling victory, Pakistan were bowled out for 358 in the morning session on the final day at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

Captain Shan Masood and Salman Agha made 71 each, but it was Rizwan’s gutsy knock, featuring 10 fours, that kept Pakistan alive until he fell to Shoriful Islam.

Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam claimed 6-120 and sealed Bangladesh’s first series whitewash against Pakistan when Khurram Shahzad was caught at wide long-on.

Bangladesh had taken control after player of the match Litton Das made 126 in their first-innings total of 278, before the hosts bowled Pakistan out for 232 to secure a useful lead.

Veteran Mushfiqur Rahim then anchored Bangladesh’s second innings with 137, lifting them to 390 and leaving Pakistan with a daunting chase.

The tourists, however, did not go down without a fight, entering the final day needing 121 runs with three wickets in hand. Shoriful effectively ended their resistance when he had Rizwan caught at gully. “Our fast bowlers did a great job in hot conditions, on a flat wicket,” Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said.

“That is something we always wanted to improve. In batting, sometimes we lost too many wickets, but nowadays we have brilliant partnerships. Our tailenders also contribute a lot.” His counterpart Shan said Pakistan made “a lot of mistakes”.

“When you make 360 runs in the fourth innings of a game, you kind of expect to be on the right side of it.” “In Test cricket, you’re going to be punished for any mistake you make.

It’s unforgiving… “You’re not going to get any easy games and you really have to grind results out. I think that’s what we need to do as a side.”