Danish Kaneria in action during his playing days (x.com)
Pakistan and Bangladesh share a short-yet-competitive Test history with each other that dates back to their first meeting back in 2001. Till date, the two nations have crossed paths on 13 occasions, and are set to add a few more chapters to their entertaining rivalry.
Notably, Pakistan vs Bangladesh Test matches have a tendency of producing some magical bowling displays from either side. Celebrating Bangladesh’s 2024 Test tour of Pakistan, here at OneCricket, we take a look at five of the best bowling performances ever recorded in Test matches between the two nations.
Shoaib Akhtar in 2003 against Bangladesh (x.com)
During Bangladesh’s 2003 tour of Pakistan, express paceman Shoaib Akhtar disfigured the visiting party with a 10-wicket haul at Peshawar in the second Test of the three-match series.
Batting first, Bangladesh reached a confident 310-2 on the second afternoon following a century from opener Javed Omar and big half-centuries from Habibul Bashar and Mohammad Ashraful. Looking all set to notch up a mammoth first-innings total, Akhtar blitzed through Bangladesh’s lower-order to have them enveloped for 361.
The speedster claimed match-winning figures of 6/50 in 22.5 overs to record one of the best individual bowling performances in any Pakistan vs Bangladesh Test till date.
Danish Kaneria tormented Bangladesh during his playing days (x.com)
In the first Test of the 2001 Asian Test Championship in Multan, legendary Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria picked up six Bangladeshi wickets on the opening day of action in just 13 overs. The cricketer conceded 42 runs to fold up Bangladesh’s entire line-up for just 134.
After Pakistan batters mounted a massive 412-run first innings lead, Danish Kaneria snared six additional wickets in the second Bangladesh innings to finish the match with figures of 12/94, thus marking his career-best match haul up until his retirement. Regardless, Kaneria’s first innings assault is ranked the fourth best spell recorded by any bowler in a Pakistan vs Bangladesh Test match.
Taijul Islam during 2021 Test series (x.com)
In late 2021, Pakistan toured Bangladesh for a two-match Test series that also constituted a part of the 2021-23 WTC. After Bangladesh batters amassed 330 in the first innings, hosts’ left-arm spinner Taijul Islam kept Pakistan down to 286 with a sensational seven-fer. Toiling away on the dust bowl of Chattogram for 44.4 overs, he seized figures of 7-116 as Bangladesh walked into the second innings with a handy 54-run lead.
While the hosts went on to lose the match by eight wickets, Taijul Islam’s bowling efforts from the first innings continue to remain the best-ever figures ever recorded by a Bangladeshi cricketer against Pakistan in Test cricket.
Danish Kaneria (x.com)
In the opening Test of the short series in Bangladesh back in 2002, Pakistan gained a colossal 330-run lead at the halfway stage of the match. With Bangladesh chasing 331 runs just to avoid following on, a ruthless Danish Kaneria unleashed an all-out assault on the hosts with a scintillating bowling display.
The dashing leg-spinner picked up seven Bangladeshi batters at the expense of just 77 runs in 19.4 overs. His spell, coupled with Abdul Razzaq’s timely breakthroughs helped Pakistan seal the series opener by an innings and 178 runs. Overall, Danish Kaneria claimed match-figures of 9-113 in nearly 40 overs.
Sajid Khan appealing for a wicket against Bangladesh (x.com)
Pakistan’s right-arm off-spinner Sajid Khan, who made his Test debut in May 2021, was called up to travel to Bangladesh for a two-match series later that same year. In the second and final match of the tour, Khan broke through a strong batting order of the hosts with his magnum opus Test performance.
The cricketer claimed eight wickets to bag figures of 8-42 in 15 overs to have Bangladesh steamrolled at 87. Khan also added four more wickets to his tally in the second innings to collect a career-best match-haul of 12-128. His twin bowling sensations helped Pakistan seal the Test by an innings and the series by an emphatic 2-0 margin.
