‘Tigers burning bright…’: Bangladesh revels in Test series triumph against Pakistan | Cricket News – Times of India
“Heartiest congratulations on behalf of the government and myself,” 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhummad Yunus told captain Najmul Hossain Shanto in a phone call after the win on Tuesday, as per AFP.
“The whole nation is proud of you,” he added, according to a statement from the office of Yunus, after the 2-0 clean sweep over Pakistan was sealed with a tense six-wicket victory in Rawalpindi.
The smiling team shot was emblazoned over the front page of the Dhaka Tribune, above a signboard that said “Winners.”
The newspaper wrote, “The Tigers are burning bright,” and praised their “emphatic victory.”
“There is genuine hope that, much as Bangladesh is experiencing a new beginning after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, this could be the dawn of a new era for Bangladesh cricket“, it added.
“This series win is emblematic of broader transformation within Bangladesh,” it read, saying the victory embodied the “resilience, determination, and the spirit of a nation that wants to achieve more than what was expected of it”.
‘Surreal victory’
1971 saw Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan.
The 37-year-old Shakib al Hasan, who was fired from his position as a lawmaker following the student-led revolution, scored the winning runs on Tuesday to ignite celebration.
“We can’t express feelings with words, we are really happy,” said captain Najmul.
“I think before we came here we were looking to win, and the way everyone did their job made me really happy.”
Dhaka’s Daily Star newspaper called it a “surreal series victory” and “watershed moment.”
“A triumph spurred by belief,” the Star’s headline read.
“Inside two weeks, Bangladesh dragged themselves out of seemingly unwinnable positions, not once but twice, in foreign conditions against an opponent whom they had lost to 12 times out of 13 previous encounters in Tests,” it added.
Next, Bangladesh will embark on a two-match Test series in India, starting on September 19.
In 13 attempts, Bangladesh has never prevailed in a Test match against India; Najmul refers to the series as “challenging.”
But Bangladesh had also not defeated Pakistan in 14 games before to their first Test victory by ten wickets, which also occurred in Rawalpindi.
