Bangladesh eye historic test win against scrappy Pakistan

Bangladesh's players celebrate after the dismissal of Pakistan's Agha Salman (not pictured) during the fifth and final day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on August 25, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 25 August 2024
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Bangladesh eye historic test win against scrappy Pakistan

  • Pakistan collapse on 108-6 on fifth and final day of first Test against Bangladesh 
  • At lunch, Pakistan trailed by nine runs after conceding 117-run first innings lead

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: Bangladesh eyed a historic win as Pakistan collapsed to 108-6 on the fifth and final day of the first test.
Pakistan was in tatters against a disciplined Bangladesh bowling attack, coupled with some poor shot selection in the first session on Sunday.
At lunch, Pakistan still trails by nine runs after conceding 117-run first innings lead.
Mohammad Rizwan was the last recognized batsman at the crease unbeaten on 22, which included three successive boundaries off Nahid Rana, while Shaheen Shah Afridi was not out on 1 after he survived a lbw referral against Shakib Al Hasan just before the break.
Bangladesh has lost 12 of its last 13 test matches against Pakistan, with the only other test match at Sylhet in Bangladesh ending in a draw in 2015.
Resuming Sunday at 23-1 and 94 runs in deficit, Pakistan lost captain Shan Masood (14) in the second over of the day when fast bowler Hasan Mahmud found a faint edge and had the Pakistan skipper caught behind.
Masood argued with onfield umpire Richard Kettleborough for the second time in the test match after he was also caught behind in a controversial manner in the first innings, but the television replays clearly suggested the left-hander had got a little tickle to the ball after Bangladesh went for a successful television referral.
Hasan should have had Babar Azam out for a pair of ducks in the game, but wicketkeeper Litton Das spilled a simple catch off the first ball Babar faced. Babar tried to break the shackles and hit three boundaries before he dragged tall fast bowler Rana (1-30) when on 22.
Pakistan’s middle-order batters were guilty of throwing their wickets away against the two spinners – Shakib and Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
First innings century-maker Saud Shakeel needlessly tried to play an extravagant shot against Shakib and got stumped for zero for the first time in his short test career.
Abdullah Shafique also ran out of patience and went for an over ambitious shot against Shakib (2-24) and top edged a catch to point before off-spinner Mehidy (1-5) found the outside edge of Salman Ali Agha’s bat in his second over as Bangladesh further pushed for victory.


Punjab expands Pakistan-India Wagah border arena with museum, partition-themed park

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Punjab expands Pakistan-India Wagah border arena with museum, partition-themed park

  • The border crossing, near eastern city of Lahore, is the primary land route between Pakistan and India and one of the most recognizable symbols of their often-tense relations
  • The site is best known for its daily flag-lowering ceremony, a choreographed military ritual performed by border forces from both countries that draws thousands of spectators

ISLAMABAD: Maryam Nawaz, chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, on Thursday inaugurated the newly constructed arena at Wagah border cross between Pakistan and India, which includes a museum and a partition themed park.

The Wagah border crossing, located near the eastern city of Lahore, is the primary land route between Pakistan and India and one of the most recognizable symbols of the often-tense relationship between the two neighbors. It serves as a key point for prisoner exchanges and limited movement of travelers, while remaining tightly regulated due to security considerations.

The site is best known for its daily flag-lowering ceremony, a choreographed military ritual performed by border forces from both countries that draws thousands of spectators. Over the years, the ceremony has evolved into a popular tourist attraction, blending displays of nationalism with public spectacle and making it one of Pakistan’s most visited landmarks, which connects with India’s Attari.

Flanked by military officials, CM Nawaz visited the crossing and inaugurated the new arena, with its seating capacity increased from 7,500 to 25,000 spectators, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported. The chief minister also visited the martyrs’ monument and offered her respects.

“In addition to the arena’s expansion, several new constructions have been added at the Joint Check Post Wagah. These new developments include a theme park depicting the partition of the Subcontinent, featuring models of a railway station, military equipment and a Martyrs’ Memorial,” the broadcaster reported.

“A Pakistan Museum has also been established within the arena, showcasing the country’s history and culture from the Freedom Movement to the present day.”

In August 1947, Britain divided the Indian Sub-continent, its former colony, into two countries — Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Excitement over independence was quickly overshadowed by some of the worst bloodletting that left up to 1 million people dead as gangs of Hindus and Muslims slaughtered each other.

Creating two independent nations also tore apart millions of Hindu and Muslim families in one of the world’s largest peacetime migrations, which displaced at least 15 million people.

The fate of Kashmir, then a princely state, was left undecided. The Himalayan territory continues to remain a flashpoint in relations between the neighbors, who have fought multiple wars over it.