Crafted in Multan, celebrated in Rawalpindi

Among cult classic TV moments— or, for the Gen-Z crowd, iconic “reels” that just won’t die—there’s one clip that keeps resurfacing on our Facebook feeds.

It’s an episode from a Pakistani show ‘Loose Talk,’ which specialises in parody and satire. This particular episode, though, takes aim at the Bangladesh cricket team, a squad known more for showing up than for actually winning on the pitch according to show.

The episode kicks off with Anwer Maqsood, the ever-serious and witty presenter, introducing a “Bangladeshi” cricketer, portrayed by Pakistani humourist Moin Akhter. Kudos to the makeup team, who somehow transformed Moin into a passable doppelgänger of former Bangladeshi spinner Mohammad Rafique. 

With a straight face, Maqsood refers to the infamous 2003 test series where Bangladesh lost 3-0 to Pakistan—an achievement, if you consider consistently losing an art form.

Bangladesh cricket has long been a story of “should’ve, could’ve, would’ve.”

And when it comes to the infamous Multan Test, every Bangladeshi fan is convinced that game should have been their first taste of Test match glory, especially since it would have been an away win against the cricketing powerhouse, Pakistan.

To this day, we lament how Khaled Mahmud, with five balls to dismiss Pakistan’s number 11, managed to bowl four deliveries down the leg side. The fourth was clipped away for a single, setting up a tearful and emotional Inzamam-ul-Haq to seal the victory on the final ball. As those winning runs were struck, every Bangladeshi watching—players included—couldn’t help but shed a tear for the rightful victory that slipped through their fingers.

A victory that was dreamt of in Multan 21 years ago, finally turned into destiny on 25 August as birthday boy Najmul Hossain Shanto’s men walked over Pakistan with 10 wickets in hand, Pakistan’s worst defeat at home in terms of wickets remaining.

Though we might be tempted to see it as poetic justice from the universe—considering the controversies and setbacks that plagued the Multan Test for the “minnow” Bangladesh—the real takeaway should be the sheer professionalism, grit, resilience, and quality that Bangladesh displayed on that dead flat Rawalpindi wicket. They earned the right to celebrate a Test win over Pakistan, a victory that was long overdue

Tactically better

From the outset, Bangladesh were tactically superior, a fact evident in their team selection compared to Pakistan’s. While Pakistan’s captain, Shan Masood, kept defending their strategy by claiming the pitch played out differently than expected—far from the typical flat track in Rawalpindi where runs come easy—their decision to go without a frontline spinner proved costly. 

They banked on the grass on the newly made pitch aiding their seamers, but Bangladesh understood that a Test match spans five days, not just the first five hours. They chose a balanced eleven, with batting depth until number eight, and a well-rounded bowling attack featuring three pacers and two frontline spinners. 

While Pakistan’s pacers including two newbies and two other quite similar bowlers in Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, Bangladesh’s pace attack was varied: Shoriful Islam’s ability to move the new ball both ways, Hasan Mahmud’s relentless accuracy, and the raw pace of youngster Nahid Rana—a trait that helped in securing the crucial wicket of Babar Azam on the fifth day. This thoughtful and well-executed approach underscored Bangladesh’s tactical acumen, setting them up for success.

Later in the game, Pakistan made another significant tactical blunder by declaring their innings at 448 with four wickets still in hand and an in-form Mohammad Rizwan unbeaten on 171. A few sessions later, former cricketer-turned-commentator Aamer Sohail criticised Shan Masood’s decision, suggesting it reflected an underestimation of the Bangladeshi side. 

While 448 might have seemed like a daunting target for a Bangladeshi team without any batter averaging over 40, it turned out to be a blessing. 

The pitch offered no real challenges, and with Pakistan fielding only four frontline bowlers and lacking a quality spinner, Bangladesh capitalised on the situation. They piled up 565 runs, making the Pakistanis toil for 167 overs under intense heat, resulting in a 117-run lead that ultimately proved too challenging for Pakistan to overcome.

Individually better

Although Mushfiqur Rahim earned the Man of the Match award for what I consider his finest Test innings—an impressive 191—Bangladesh’s victory wasn’t solely due to the 37-year-old former captain’s heroics.

From day one to day five, every Bangladeshi player played a crucial role. It all began with Zakir Hossain’s flying catch in the slips on the first day, setting the tone for the Bangladeshi pacers. Five batters then went on to score more than fifty in the first innings, laying a solid foundation. Finally, the spin duo of Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz ran rings around a Pakistani batting lineup desperate for survival, ensuring that every player had a hand in the win.

There’s no classic Bangladesh victory without Shakib Al Hasan leaving his mark. Shakib, undoubtedly the most hated cricketer in the country right now, displayed shades of his usual arrogance and excellence on the field and took charge in certain segments of the final day’s play. 

At one point, Shakib spitefully hurled the ball at a set Mohammad Rizwan, frustrated by what he perceived as intentional time-wasting to reach the lunch break. Just a couple of balls later, the usually composed Abdullah Shafique attempted an aggressive shot off Shakib, only to be caught in the offside, triggering a collapse that allowed the bowlers to dismantle the rest of Pakistan’s lineup.

Litton Das deserves recognition too. Apart from the one dropped catch of Babar Azam, he was sharp behind the stumps and his quickfire fifty turned the momentum towards Bangladesh late on the third day. As long as there’s YouTube, Bangladeshis will certainly keep going back to the highligfhts where LKD ripped apart Naseem Shah by smacking him all around the park.

Though this victory has been a long time coming, Bangladesh must now set aside their moment of glory and focus on a new challenge: securing a series win in Pakistan. Achieving this will be no easy feat.