Bangladesh Captain Najmul Hasan Shanto Dedicates Historic Test Win Against Pakistan to People Back Home

Rawalpindi: Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hasan Shanto on Sunday called his team’s historic Test win over Pakistan a ‘truly special victory’ considering the challenges his country is facing. Off-spinners Mehidy Hasan Miraz and left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan were the heroes of the day, claiming seven wickets in Pakistan's second innings as they crumbled to 146 all out on the final day. This victory marked Bangladesh's first-ever win in 14 Test matches against Pakistan, a momentous achievement for the team.

“It was a very important win for us because last month we had a difficult situation in Bangladesh. There are still some problems there but in Bangladesh we support each other and I am happy this win gives them a little bit of a smile on their faces,” he said at the post-match conference after the 10-wicket win.

“We are happy with our performance and we just want to give more joy to our people in the second match as well. It was a special victory for us especially given how we adjusted to the hot conditions and pitch here,” Shanto added. Shanto said they were confident of winning the match coming into the final day as the pitch was becoming difficult and his team had some experienced spinners and good seamers. “I think Shakib and Miraz bowled very well today given the conditions and we knew that with a 90-run advantage Pakistan would be under pressure on the final day,” he said.

Shanto said the key to the win was the strong batting display in the first innings. “Mushfiq bhai played an outstanding innings but overall I think everyone contributed and it was a big team effort. I am happy that all the hard work we put into preparing for this series we have now ticked all the boxes in this match,” he said.

The Bangladesh team reached Pakistan a few days earlier for the series because of the uncertain situation back home. Asked by a journalist about what senior pro Shakib was going through in the team because of his problems back home, Shanto said what the all-rounder was facing were his personal issues but as a senior team member he is always contributing.