Bangladesh v Pakistan, 2014-15

	Pakistan hits back, after losing the ODI and T20 series, to claim the Test series 1-0 © AFP Enlarge
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One-day internationals (3): Bangladesh 3, Pakistan 0
Twenty20 international (1): Bangladesh 1, Pakistan 0
Test matches (2): Bangladesh 0, Pakistan 1

Before this tour, Bangladesh had not beaten Pakistan since the 1999 World Cup, after which they had lost 40 games to them in all formats, including all eight Tests. So to sweep the limited-overs matches was a result to savour. Building on their quarter-final place at the World Cup, the Bangladeshis gained crucial points in their bid to break into the top eight of the ICC one-day international rankings - and qualify automatically for the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2019 World Cup. Pakistan were in danger of missing out on the first of those.

They arrived with a new look: Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi had now retired from the 50-over format, and Azhar Ali was the surprise choice as captain, having been out of the one-day set-up for more than two years. His form was good, but he was unable to lift a team in flux, which contained two off-spinners - Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez - restored after doubts about their actions. Afridi returned for the Twenty20 game, but had little impact.

The highlights for Bangladesh were centuries in the first two one-day matches for Tamim Iqbal, and a maiden hundred in the third for Soumya Sarkar, a silky 22-year-old left-hander. Mushfiqur Rahim also batted well, while there was some assured captaincy from Mashrafe bin Mortaza.

It was a different story in the Tests, for which Pakistan were bolstered by the return of Misbah and Younis Khan. Bangladesh saved the First by batting through the last five sessions, mainly thanks to a monumental opening partnership between Tamim, who made a national-record 206, and Imrul Kayes.

But Pakistan's left-arm seamers Wahab Riaz and Junaid Khan cashed in on a sportier pitch for the Second, at Mirpur. Bangladesh handicapped themselves by choosing only two regular seamers, and were left almost impotent when Shahadat Hossain limped off in the first over. Pakistan ran up another big total, featuring Younis's 29th Test hundred and Azhar's first double. Seven wickets for leg-spinner Yasir Shah - preferred to Ajmal, not the same bowler after remodelling his action - ensured Pakistan took the series.

The tour had been in doubt until a week before it started, as the two boards bickered about terms. The arguments had begun back in 2011, with a disagreement over nominations for the ICC presidency, and continued the following year when Bangladesh twice cancelled a trip to Pakistan. This visit went ahead after the BCB agreed to pay $US325,000 as compensation for those cancellations. It felt like a price worth paying.

Match reports for

Tour Match: Bangladesh Cricket Board XI v Pakistanis at Fatullah, Apr 15, 2015
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1st ODI: Bangladesh v Pakistan at Mirpur, Apr 17, 2015
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2nd ODI: Bangladesh v Pakistan at Mirpur, Apr 19, 2015
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3rd ODI: Bangladesh v Pakistan at Mirpur, Apr 22, 2015
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Only T20I: Bangladesh v Pakistan at Mirpur, Apr 24, 2015
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1st Test: Bangladesh v Pakistan at Khulna, Apr 28-May 2, 2015
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2nd Test: Bangladesh v Pakistan at Mirpur, May 6-9, 2015
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