Bangladesh secures 1st win vs England with 108-run victory
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) Offspinner Mehedi Hasan claimed a Bangladesh test match record of 12-159 as his side secured a first-ever win against England - a comfortable 108-run victory - to level the series 1-1 on Sunday.
Mehedi took 6-77 in the second innings to rip through England, which lost all 10 wickets in the post-lunch session in its pursuit of 273 runs to win.
Left arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan complemented Mehedi's effort with 4-49 with three wickets in four balls to help the side earn the victory inside three days.
''It is a very big achievement in Bangladesh's test cricket history,'' said Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim. ''It came against a very good England side but there will be a time when we will win a series 2-0 against any big team. This is a start.''
England captain Alastair Cook made 59 and Ben Duckett scored 54 as they kept the side unscathed before lunch, reaching 100-0.
''Very hard (to explain). 100-0 was a really good session. I was really pleased with the way Ben played,'' Cook said.
''We possibly showed our inexperience in those conditions, even though I as out there experiencing it - it was amazing the difference before tea and after tea. You lose a couple of wickets, then men come round the bat, crowd gets into it - being able to deal with and get through it - you know it doesn't last forever, but that half an hour, 40 minutes is crucial, and we just weren't good enough to be able to get through.''
Mehedi struck with the first ball of the final session, dismissing Duckett with a delivery that kept low.
From then on Bangladesh never looked back. Only Stokes apart from Cook and Duckett reached double digits as Mehedi and Shakib made inroads at regular intervals.
''From the time we knew England were coming, we planned to make wickets that would help our spinners and trouble the English batsmen. Here our bowlers executed our plans and the batsmen did well too, which made this win possible,'' Mushfiqur added.
Shakib Al Hasan removed Joe Root for 1 as Bangladesh spinners used the crack of the pitch perfectly to leave England in tatters.
Mehedi then picked up Gary Ballance (5) and Moeen Ali (0) in an over but he dealt the biggest blow when Cook poked at a turning delivery.
Cook had survived a video review on 44 against the same bowler and Bangladesh sought a video review unsuccessfully against him when he was on 59.
But minutes after the second review, he lost his concentration and England's hopes faded with him.
Cook hit five fours in an innings that lasted two and half hours.
Ben Stokes resisted but Bangladesh spinners hardly gave England's batsmen any space to breathe, bowling with accurate line and length on a pitch that offered plenty of support.
Jonny Bairstow, who rescued England from precarious situations earlier in the series, was unable to repeat the trick and was out on 3.
Shakib disturbed Stokes' stump with a straight delivery and then dismissed Zafar Ansari and Adil Rashid for duck in four balls.
Mehedi fittingly ended the match with the wicket of Steven Finn and to claim five or more wickets in the first two tests three times. He also eclipsed left arm spinner Enamul Haque Junior's 18 wickets to be the highest wicket-taker (19) in a series for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh earlier set England a 273-run target to win the second test after it was bowled out for 296 shortly after lunch on the third day.
Opener Imrul Kayes made 78 while Mahmudullah scored 47 to give Bangladesh a fighting chance of levelling the series on an increasingly turning, deteriorating wicket.
The highest successful chase in the fourth innings at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium was 209-1 by England against the same opponent in 2010.
The hosts capitalized on England's wayward fielding on the third morning after resuming its innings on 152-3 to build its lead.
Kayes survived two dropped catches, while Shakib Al Hasan also benefited from a Ben Duckett drop at deep midwicket on his way to 41.
Legspinner Adil Rashid claimed 4-52 and fast bowler Ben Stokes took 3-52.
