Sylhet, May 19, 2026, 14:07 (BST)
By the fourth afternoon in Sylhet, Pakistan found themselves at 162 for five, still needing another 275 runs to chase down Bangladesh’s 437 target and avoid a series loss. Nahid Rana and Taijul Islam each picked up a pair of wickets. Out in the middle: Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha, trying to hold things together.
There’s more riding on this than just a single chase. Bangladesh hold a 1-0 advantage in the two-Test series after their 104-run win in Dhaka, and another win would seal the sweep against a Pakistan squad already docked points for a slow over-rate in the World Test Championship’s league table.
Last week, the ICC handed Pakistan a 40% match fee fine and stripped them of eight WTC points after they fell eight overs short in the first Test. Now sitting on just four points—only ahead of West Indies in the standings—the Sylhet outcome suddenly carries more weight than the final score alone might suggest.
After being put in to bat, Bangladesh posted 278, then piled on 390 in the second innings, bolstered by Mushfiqur Rahim’s 137 and half-centuries from Litton Das and Mahmudul Hasan Joy. Pakistan managed 232 in response and now face a chase of 437 in the second innings.
Pakistan pushed back after early setbacks. Shan Masood and Babar Azam stitched together 92 for the third wicket, restoring a bit of order to the chase. Babar departed on 47, Masood followed for 71, and Saud Shakeel added just six. The innings unraveled from there.
Rana struck when a review upheld the edge from Shakeel. Not long after, Taijul found Masood’s bat—Mahmudul Hasan Joy snapped up the chance at short leg. That wicket pushed Pakistan to 162 for five, the momentum turning sharply in Bangladesh’s favor that afternoon.
Danyal Rasool at ESPNcricinfo didn’t pull punches, calling Pakistan’s bowling “at rock bottom” as Bangladesh took command in Sylhet. Pressure from the bowlers has been lacking, leaving Pakistan’s batters staring down a tough rescue effort in the fourth innings. ESPN Cricinfo
Mushfiqur ticked off a milestone for himself, too: first Bangladesh batter to top 16,000 international runs. With his 14th Test century—no other Bangladesh player has more—he keeps pushing records in the format.
The door isn’t shut yet. According to ESPN’s live commentary, batting conditions are still holding up, with Rizwan and Salman bringing the kind of experience that could test Bangladesh if they get in. Cricbuzz had Bangladesh’s win probability at 92%, though Pakistan were left with both overs to play and a full final day.
Following the opener, Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto spoke of his “confidence in our bowling attack.” Pakistan’s Masood, for his part, admitted his side “needed to do better” with both bat and ball. Those remarks loom large over this contest. The Washington Post
Bangladesh are five wickets away from wrapping this up. Pakistan, on the other hand, face a hefty chase—or they’ll have to dig in for a marathon stand to push the match to a fifth day.
