Pakistan received a 104 runs defeat against Bangladesh in the first Test match held in Mirpur, which concluded on 12th May 2026. This outcome marked Pakistan’s first-ever Test defeat on Bangladesh soil. This was the 3rd straight loss for Pakistan against Bangladesh as they were defeated 2-0 in Rawalpindi in 2024.
Babar Azam was ruled out of the first Test match due to knee injury concerns which opened the gates for a debut for Abdullah Fazal who had an exceptional Test debut alongside Azan Awais. Azan scored a century in his debut innings while Abdullah Fazal became the sixth Pakistani player to score fifties in both innings of the Test match on debut. Despite the loss, the debutants were the standout performers with composed techniques and resilience against both pace and spin.
Abdullah looked completely in control. He was reading the length of the ball way early. It gave him enough time to handle the tricky Mirpur surface. Rest of the batters were finding it difficult to pick up the length early, committed with premeditation and played away from the body, resulted in failures in the match.
Captain Shan Masood expressed deep disappointment, admitting that the team failed to capitalize on favorable conditions and critical moments of the match. Pakistan had positives in Abbas five wicket haul in 1st innings. A series of mistakes ensured failures in asserting the authority with both bat and ball when Pakistan had the chance.
Pakistan’s next Test match will begin on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. While Abdullah Fazal and Azan Awais showed promise with twin fifties and a century, the senior players must provide better support to prevent the “domino effect” seen in the first Test.
RCAK wishes head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and Captain Shan Masood to overcome mistakes and move past the recent defeat to win the 2nd Test match against Bangladesh, and gain crucial World Test Championship points.
