Bangladesh head into the fifth morning of the Sylhet Test needing only three more wickets to seal a landmark 2-0 series clean sweep over Pakistan. The visitors, though, ended Day 4 clinging on at 316/7 in their second innings, still 121 runs short of the 437-run chase. Their most significant obstacle remains Mohammad Rizwan, unbeaten on 75, as Pakistan’s fading hopes depend on whether he can outlast the Bangladesh attack through the early part of the final day. Taijul Islam had promised a hard fourth day for the opposition, and while Bangladesh initially looked on course for an early finish, the match swung back and forth before Taijul’s late breakthroughs finally nudged the hosts closer to the win.
Day 4: Bangladesh’s early wickets and a promising start
The day began with Bangladesh appearing to be on the brink of wrapping things up quickly. Nahid Rana struck first, dismissing opener Abdullah Fazal with a sharp short ball that was mistimed into the hands at gully. Mehidy Hasan Miraz followed with another quick success, trapping Azan Awais in front after a delivery that held its line and then nipped back; the DRS review provided no escape.
With momentum in Bangladesh’s favour, the contest seemed set for a swift collapse. Instead, the pitch continued to offer enough for batters to play themselves in, and Shan Masood along with Babar Azam steadied Pakistan with the most watchable batting of the series from the visitors’ perspective. Both men were proactive from the outset: Babar punished Taijul on the back foot for a boundary, while Masood produced three neat drives off Taskin Ahmed. The pressure built, and a fifty partnership arrived quickly, helped by 46 runs coming in the final six overs of the opening session.
When control slipped: the first major break and a turning of the screw
That promising stand, however, did not last. Taijul—handling a large share of the workload—delivered a harmless-looking ball angled down the leg side. Babar went for a clip, and Litton Das snapped up a sharp catch to send the captain back for 47. The dismissal came with Babar visibly frustrated as he departed, and Pakistan’s resistance began to look less secure.
The afternoon then turned into a difficult stretch for the visitors. Saud Shakeel offered no comfort against Rana’s full pace delivery, edging behind. Moments later, Masood’s dismissal for 71 arrived just six balls after the fall of Babar’s wicket, a blow that felt decisive in the context of the chase that Bangladesh were building towards.
Rizwan and Agha’s rearguard: the partnership Pakistan needed
Even as wickets fell, Taijul continued to extract extra bounce from a surface that had started to wear. Pakistan’s best chance of survival rested on the late-stage stand that followed, and it arrived when Rizwan and Salman Agha came together in a moment of crisis. Over three hours and 134 runs, they blunted Bangladesh’s attack—despite the hosts throwing everything at them, including aggressive field placements, frequent pace shifts, and probing spin from both ends.
The duo refused to surrender initiative. They ran hard between the wickets and used their feet decisively, turning the partnership into a stubborn block against Bangladesh’s momentum. As the sixth-wicket stand expanded towards the end of the day, the game became increasingly tense, with emotions spilling over when Litton took visible exception to Rizwan’s time-taking after disturbances near the sightscreen.
Fractious moments, but no collapse
Despite the friction, Rizwan and Agha did not fold. Their calmness under pressure kept Pakistan alive through to the latter stages of Day 4, pushing Bangladesh closer to the point where patience would be required rather than simply execution. Still, the match was far from over, with the final half hour remaining poised to decide the balance of power.
Taijul’s late double-strike and Pakistan’s final-day cliffhanger
In the final thirty minutes, Taijul Islam struck twice with the second new ball, shifting the contest sharply back towards the home side. After reaching 71, Agha’s defence was beaten by an arm ball, sparking wild celebrations among the Bangladesh players. Hasan Ali then fell in the next over—also courtesy of Taijul’s intervention—leaving Pakistan with less margin for error.
Sajid Khan held his nerve for the next three overs to keep the fight going, ensuring Rizwan remained unbeaten and that Pakistan’s innings ended at 316/7. That set the stage for Day 5 with Bangladesh needing three wickets to complete the historic series whitewash, while Pakistan will rely heavily on the endurance of Rizwan to extend the contest.
Brief scores
- Pakistan: 232 & 316/7
- Rizwan: 75*; Salman Agha: 71; Shan Masood: 71
- Taijul Islam: 4-113
- Bangladesh: 278 & 390
- Lead: Bangladesh by 121 runs; target of 437 runs
