After Bangladesh completed a 2-0 Test series sweep of Pakistan on home soil, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has pointed to a key strategic adjustment he believes has helped transform the team’s performances in the longer format. While the whitewash itself drew attention, Shanto’s comments focused on the thinking behind it and how Bangladesh have been planning to consistently build match-winning bowling efforts.
The Sylhet win that sealed the second consecutive series victory over Pakistan was not a one-off statement. Bangladesh had previously managed the same 2-0 scoreline when they toured Pakistan two years earlier, meaning they have now recorded four victories from four Tests against Pakistan. Notably, before the 2024 series began, Bangladesh had never beaten Pakistan in Tests, underscoring how far their results have come.
Shanto said that at some stage he realised Bangladesh needed to take a full set of 20 wickets to win Test matches, and that the only practical route was to field a group of five specialist bowlers. “When you have five bowlers, you have options in your hand. I believe you need five bowlers to take 20 wickets. This time we took the challenge of playing five bowlers in both Tests, something that we didn’t dare do in the past,” he was quoted as saying.
According to Shanto, Bangladesh’s display across the series showed the kind of temperament required at Test level. In the first Test at Mirpur, they allowed Pakistan enough overs to chase 268, yet still found a way to manage the pressure. Then, in Sylhet—where early conditions favoured the bowlers and the wicket looked difficult from the outset—Bangladesh responded by moving from 116 for 6 to finish on 278, with Litton Das producing a century to steer them through a tricky period.
Those two contrasting phases, Shanto suggested, clearly demonstrated the hosts’ intent. “I think declaring the second innings in the first Test was a big moment in our cricket. I think it will help us in the future. We lost both tosses in the series too, and were sent in to bat in tough conditions. We therefore found out that our batting can get us into good positions despite being put into bat in tough conditions,” Shanto said. He added that the team’s approach was based on not getting dragged down by awkward situations and treating each contest as a genuine opportunity to secure wins.
It’s a strong start, but consistency is the next step
Despite the satisfaction of beating Pakistan, Shanto made it clear that Bangladesh’s work is far from finished. While defeating Pakistan is a positive beginning, he believes the crucial measure will be how consistently they perform against stronger sides, both at home and away. If results abroad remain a challenge, he stressed that at the very least Bangladesh must keep delivering against other visiting teams at home.
Shanto added that the sweep should be treated as motivation rather than a finish line. “I am hopeful of even greater achievements for Bangladesh. Overall, these four Tests were really special for the team. We have to keep building our Test team. Once we win consistently at home and abroad, I can say that the team is better than before,” he said.
