Bangladesh sweep Pakistan 2-0 in historic Test series

Bangladesh completed a historic 2-0 Test series sweep against Pakistan on Wednesday, defeating the visitors by 78 runs in the second Test at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. The victory marks Bangladesh’s first home Test series whitewash against Pakistan and their second consecutive series sweep over the same opponent, following a 2-0 away win in 2024.

Chasing a daunting target of 437 runs, Pakistan were bowled out for 358 in the morning session on the final day. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam was the architect of the victory, taking six wickets for 120 runs in the second innings to finish with nine wickets in the match. He dismissed Sajid Khan to break a crucial partnership and later claimed the final wicket of Khurram Shahzad to seal the win.

Mohammad Rizwan led Pakistan’s resistance with a defiant 94 off 166 balls, falling just six runs short of a century. He was dismissed by Shoriful Islam after adding 54 runs with Sajid Khan on the final morning. Shan Masood and Salman Agha each scored 71, while Babar Azam contributed 47, but the efforts were not enough to overcome the substantial target.

Bangladesh’s victory was built on strong batting performances. After being...