Bangladesh’s narrow victory over Pakistan in Dhaka owed much to Najmul Hossain Shanto’s decision to declare well before safety was assured. The skipper pulled his side in at 240, leaving Pakistan 268 to chase in roughly 70 overs, and the bowlers did the rest, finishing the tourists off with time — if not runs — still on the clock.
“It is important to take such brave decisions,” Shanto said afterwards. “I think the Test team is slowly growing up so we could take such a decision (to declare the innings). I think this decision will help us in the future. The reason behind taking this decision is the bowling attack we have, the five bowlers we played in this match, all of them are skilled and all of them bowled well.”
Phil Simmons’ message — go for the win, no matter what — was hammered home at tea. Shanto repeated it out in the middle. “Our only message since the morning was that we want to win the game. Regardless of the situation. Coach (Phil Simmons) repeated the message at the tea break. We went into the field with that message in mind. We thought even if we can’t win this game, we wanted to make it hard for Pakistan. We didn’t think about losing or settling for a draw. We held an aggressive mindset,” said Shanto.
That approach framed every field change. Slip catchers stayed in; boundary riders came and went. “When the game was on the line, I had an in-and-out field. I was constantly thinking how we could cut out their runs. It was a pitch where defending for a long time wasn’t easy. I thought if we could put on one or two good bowling partnerships, we will get opportunities to take wickets. It is always difficult for a new batter here,” Shanto explained.
The captain does plenty of leg-work between overs, trotting in from second slip for hurried chats with his quicks. Nahid Rana, who ended with a five-for, is the one he visits most. Their dialogue, however, has shortened. “I think I needed to speak to him more in the past, but slowly it is becoming less and less. Sometimes I don’t even go up to him. I think it is important that he bowls from his own understanding. It will help him in the future. I think we are having a good combination, me and Rana. I think I have figured out when to go to him, and when not to,” he said.
Rana’s burst, supported by Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain, validated the gamble. Pakistan had overs in hand but not wickets, falling well short as the shadows lengthened.
Shanto himself scored a first-innings hundred and followed it with 87 on a surface that demanded constant concentration early on and then turned a touch skittish. He would have liked more, naturally, yet he sounded philosophical. “I think I could have played a bigger knock in the first innings,” he admitted, noting the tough early conditions and the fact the pitch mellowed later.
Mohammad Ashraful, now Bangladesh’s batting coach, had forecast Pakistan’s target almost to the run. His call at stumps on day four — “around 70 overs to chase a 260-plus total” — proved uncannily accurate, and it gave the home bowlers a clear script.
From a broader angle, the declaration felt like a small but significant shift in Bangladesh’s Test mindset. Previous captains have tended towards caution; Shanto tossed that aside, trusting a balanced attack rather than waiting for a draw to come to him. An in-form top order, a fit pace trio and Mehidy Hasan’s control offered cover. The skipper judged his resources, and the risk, cleanly.
Pakistan will argue they had the tools to get 268, and perhaps on another afternoon they would have. Babar Azam’s early dismissal put them behind, and the middle order never settled. A couple of edges went to hand; a couple of loose shots landed those hands in the first place — fine lines in a chase of that size.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, savour a result that rewards both skill and nerve. It is not often they have declared in the third innings of a Test — only the 14th time, for the statisticians — and it will embolden a group that has talked for years about “playing positive cricket” but not always followed through.
There will be lessons, too. The home side lost 4 for 33 before the declaration, a reminder that adventure can overstep. Shanto acknowledged that imbalance but argued the benefits outweighed the risks. Hard to dispute when you win by 29 runs.
Next up is Chattogram, usually a flatter surface, so timing declarations there will demand an even keener eye. For now, the captain’s call stands as a marker. Bangladesh’s bowlers backed it, the fielders caught what came, and the win column gets the line it craved.
