Bangladesh's maturity in their successful chase in the second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi was one of the standout features of their 2-0 series win. Three mid-sized partnerships took them to their target of 185 with six wickets in hand, but more than that, it was their approach that justified their victory.
After Zakir Hasan gave them a quick start on the fourth evening, their measured approach proved that their win in the first Test was no fluke. It showed there is something they can build on.
After their ten-wicket win in the first Test, also in Rawalpindi, Bangladesh had acknowledged the importance of the 12 overs that their openers Zakir and Shadman Islam batted out on the second evening after Pakistan had declared on 448 for 6.
Nine days later, Zakir led the way once again but in a very different manner. With so much at stake, his burst of boundaries on the fourth evening, under dark clouds, flattened the hosts. He raced to 31 off 23 balls with two fours and two sixes, taking Bangladesh to 42 runs in seven overs before bad lights forced and rain early stumps. On the final morning, Zakir and Shadman added Bangladesh's first 50-plus opening stand in 18 innings, going back to almost two years.
The approach Zakir took can be dangerous in Test cricket and he, too, was out for 40 off 39 balls. It might have been justified for Zakir to be extra cautious after the first-innings collapse that had Bangladesh reeling on 26 for 6. But it made everyone in the dressing room feel confident. It does not look like a big contribution but it was huge in the context of the game, the series, and even the Bangladesh cricket.
Later, Najmul Hossain Shanto said that with the weather around, Zakir was aware that Bangladesh needed to score quickly in the event of more rain on the fifth day.
"Zakir didn't need any instructions," Shanto told ESPNcricinfo after the match. "This is how he should play. He is an attacking player. He should attack in this manner. This is why we told him to bat this way. Shadman's natural game is to take his time. Zakir needed to attack, and that's what he did. He played a very important knock. We had the rain in the back of our minds. These are tricky targets. He got us the momentum."
By the time the two openers fell, Bangladesh had 70 on the board. The base was set for Mominul Haque and Shanto to build on, and they added another 57 in nearly 20 overs. That reduced Bangladesh's requirement to less than 60. Shanto scored 38, his highest score of the series. Just like Zakir's contribution, it may not seem a lot, but the two hours he spent at the crease filled the dressing room with assurance. Similarly, Mominul's 34, in a little over two hours, was more about him spending time in the middle, something he had stressed after scoring a fifty in the first Test.
"We wanted to play every ball with focus," Shanto said. "They were bowling well in that period. They didn't give us many chances. It was a day-five wicket. We didn't think too far ahead. I think Mominul bhai batted superbly in that period."
Shanto said that the team wanted Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh's greatest cricketer, and Mushfiqur Rahim, their most capped Test player, to finish the game. That wish came true when, with Mushfiqur at the other end, Shakib slashed Abrar Ahmed to the cover boundary for the winning runs. Shakib lofted his hands in delight, while Mushfiqur let out a huge roar.
"It looked great from the dressing room," Shanto said.
Among Bangladesh's major strides on this tour was Shanto's captaincy. He had to deal with a lot of off-field issues before and during the first Test. He had a smoother ride off the field in the second game but had to ensure that the less experienced players didn't lose focus after the win in the first Test. He credited his team-mates for the series win, saying that everyone, down to the reserve players, contributed to the triumph.
"I think it is better if the players talked about my captaincy - it will be good feedback," he said. "It is a great feeling to win a series as captain. Credit goes to every single player... how they kept their mind on cricket [despite the off-field issues back home]. They kept focus on the game despite everything. There was an effort to keep everyone together and on how to play as one team. We had guys who didn't play a match here - such as Taijul [Islam], Khaled [Ahmed], [Mahmudul Hasan] Joy and Nayeem [Hasan] - but they too made a great contribution."
After the initial celebrations were over, Shanto went to the middle of the pitch and took a photo with the trophy in his hands.
"The photo on the pitch was a memory - it is the greatest moment of my life," he said. "It is bigger than the Asia Cup final I played in 2018 [where Bangladesh lost to India]. We were all talking about how we wanted to celebrate. We were together. It was a fine moment."