Salman Ali Agha's Words Backfires As Bangladesh Defeat Pakistan For The First Time In Tests At Home
Pakistan were dealt an embarrassing first by Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday
Pakistan were dealt an embarrassing first by Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday. The Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side made history by registering their first-ever home Test victory against Pakistan after clinching the opening match of the two-Test series by 104 runs. Bangladesh bundled out Pakistan for 163 in their second innings while defending a target of 268 to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
The victory marked a memorable milestone for Bangladesh in Test cricket, as they also secured their third consecutive win over Pakistan. Previously, Bangladesh whitewashed Pakistan in a two-match Test series in Pakistan in 2024.
The victory meant Salman Ali Agha's pre-final day prediction went horribly wrong. "Definitely, we will go for the win. If they are brave enough to do that - give us 70 overs and 260 - we will definitely go for the chase. But I don't think they will do that," Agha had said.
Agha ji : Bas 260 runs 70 over mein chahie saar
— Vishal (@Fanpointofviews) May 12, 2026
Saar If bangladesh team shows some bravery & sets a target of 260 runs in 70 overs, then we will definitely go for the win saar But I don't think they will do that saar by Agha ji pic.twitter.com/raw3fFmPDP
The victory sees Bangladesh climb to sixth in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 standings. With a points percentage of 44.44, the Tigers have moved past Pakistan and England, according to the ICC.
Meanwhile, Pakistan slips from fifth to seventh. With two losses and one victory from their first three matches of the cycle, they now sit on a points percentage of 33.33, ahead of England and the West Indies.
Bangladesh had earlier posted 413 in their first innings before declaring their second innings at 240/9. Pakistan replied with 386 in the first innings but failed to chase down the target in the fourth innings.
Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto played a crucial role in the victory and was named Player of the Match for his century in the contest. The veteran batter scored a memorable 101 off 130 balls in the first innings and played a crucial knock of 87 in the second innings.
Pakistan's resistance in the match came through Azan Awais, who scored a century in the first innings, while Mohammad Rizwan (59) and Salman Ali Agha (58) chipped in with fighting half-centuries.
Bangladesh's bowlers, however, dominated the final innings as the hosts wrapped up the match comfortably on the fifth day.
Captain Shanto expressed pride in his team's performance after Bangladesh secured a historic win against Pakistan.
Speaking after the match, Shanto praised the collective effort of the players and said the team's hard work over the past few months was beginning to show results in the longest format of the game.
"Very happy. Proud of all the guys, the way we played. We have been working hard for the last few months. Really happy with the way we played. Great experience and feeling very proud of the way we played," Shanto said.
The Bangladesh skipper said the side was gradually improving in Test cricket, which has remained one of the team's major objectives. Shanto also revealed that Bangladesh had planned to bat first after winning the toss, backing their bowling attack to make an impact later in the match.
"Slowly, we are getting better at Test cricket, and that's one thing we have always wanted to do. We had a plan that we wanted to bat first. I think we have a quality bowling attack, and we wanted to bat first because of the preparation in the last few months. That was the plan," he said.
Explaining the decision to declare in the second innings, the Bangladesh captain credited the bowling unit led by Nahid Rana, Taskin Ahmed and Taijul Islam. Reflecting on the pitch conditions in Dhaka, Shanto admitted that batting was challenging early in the match and lauded the contributions of senior batters Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim.
"Why we declared is because we have a quality bowling attack, and in these conditions, Rana, Taskin, Taijul bowled really well, and that's what I want for them. I always think about what the team needs and contribute in every match. In the first innings, the first few hours were challenging. I think Mominul bhai batted brilliantly. There was extra bounce, but we played good shots. Especially Mominul bhai and Mushfiqur bhai batted really well," he said.
"Today we'll enjoy ourselves, and then we'll have to assess conditions in Sylhet and plan for how to play there," Shanto added.
Bangladesh will now shift focus to the second and final Test against Pakistan in Sylhet, scheduled to begin on May 16.
With ANI inputs
Pakistan Cricket Team
Bangladesh Cricket Team