Rana’s Five-Fer Crushes Pakistan

Bangladesh launched their one-day international series against Pakistan in emphatic fashion, securing a commanding eight-wicket victory at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. The match was dominated by the sensational pace bowling of Nahid Rana, whose devastating spell dismantled Pakistan’s batting line-up and set up a comfortable chase for the hosts.

Rana, playing as Bangladesh’s third seamer, delivered a remarkable performance with the ball. In an uninterrupted seven-over spell, he claimed five wickets for just 24 runs—his maiden five-wicket haul in One Day Internationals. It was also his first ODI appearance on home soil, and he marked the occasion with a display of pace, movement, and control that proved decisive.

Pakistan began their innings cautiously, reaching 41 for 1 at the end of the powerplay. Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz shared the early overs before Rana was introduced into the attack in the tenth over. The young paceman made an immediate impact, dismissing opener Sahibzada Farhan with the final ball of the over to break the opening partnership.

From that moment onward, Rana tore through the Pakistani batting order. In his second over, he removed Shamil Hossain—who had earlier been dropped by Tanzim Hasan Tamim when on just two runs. Rana’s third victim was opener Maj Sadaqat, caught by Saif Hasan. His most impressive delivery came in the 16th over when he produced a sharp outswinger that forced Mohammad Rizwan to edge behind to wicketkeeper Liton Das. In the following over, Rana completed his five-wicket haul by dismissing Salman Agha, finishing a memorable spell that left Pakistan reeling.

With Pakistan’s batting already in disarray, Bangladesh’s other bowlers completed the job efficiently. Captain Miraz contributed significantly with three wickets for 29 runs in his 10 overs, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman picked up one wicket each. Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 114 in 30.4 overs. Faheem Ashraf top-scored with 37 runs, while Sahibzada Farhan made 27. Several debutants featured in Pakistan’s line-up, but the top order failed to deliver.

The chase proved straightforward for Bangladesh. Openers Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Najmul Hossain Shanto provided a strong foundation with an 82-run partnership. Although Shanto was dismissed for 27, Tanzid continued his aggressive approach, remaining unbeaten on 67. His innings featured seven boundaries and five sixes, sealing the victory shortly before the evening iftar break.

Bangladesh reached the target in just 15.1 overs, finishing with 209 balls to spare—highlighting the one-sided nature of the contest.

Match Summary

Rana’s achievement also places him among a select group in Bangladesh’s ODI history. He became the country’s 17th bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in the format. The record for the most five-wicket hauls for Bangladesh remains with Mustafizur Rahman, who has achieved the feat five times, while Shakib Al Hasan and Abdur Razzak have four each.

Notably, the previous five-wicket haul against Pakistan by a Bangladeshi bowler also came from Mustafizur Rahman during the 2019 Cricket World Cup at Lord’s. Rana’s performance now adds another memorable chapter to Bangladesh’s fast-bowling success against the same opponent.

What began as a full-length contest expected to last nearly eight hours was effectively reduced to a brief encounter. With only 45 overs played across both innings, the match concluded in roughly three and a half hours—thanks largely to Rana’s explosive spell that set the tone for Bangladesh’s dominant start to the series.