Misbah relieved after ‘much-needed’ win
Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq was clearly a relieved man after his side beat Bangladesh with more than a day to spare in the second Test in Dhaka, calling the win a 'much-needed' one.
Pakistan lost all four limited-overs matches at the start of the tour, and then went on to draw the first Test in Khulna when they should have won it, allowing the Tigers to bat out nearly two days to save the game.
But this time the visitors did very well, with bat and ball, as the deck made life tough for the hosts. Needing 550 to win, Bangladesh needed to bat for two days, but could only manage 221 all out on day four.
Misbah said after the game: "It is a much-needed win for us. The team showed great character. After losing the toss, the first session was important for us. The way Younis Khan and Azhar Ali batted was the base for our victory.
"There was more bounce here than Khulna, our bowlers enjoyed bowling on this wicket. Yasir Shah bowled really well. Everybody should congratulate Bangladesh the way they played.
"The first Test draw was a victory for them. We were disappointed by the last Test. The way we won this match we were satisfied. It was a much-needed win for us."
Pakistan now go home and prepare for their limited-over series against Zimbabwe later this month. While Misbah doesn't play ODIs, he is excited that they will be hosting their first series since 2009.
He added: "I am not part of the T20 and ODI side, but I wish my team a good series against Zimbabwe. It is really, really good to see cricket come back in Pakistan."
Azhar Ali's double century in the first innings, along with Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq's tons, was key for Pakistan as they racked up a very solid foundation. The ODI skipper was more concerned with the team though.
Azhar said: "It is a very good combined effort from the team. We all played really well. The coach and management has backed our abilities and we got the result. Getting centuries is satisfactory.
"We look up to Younis Khan and senior players and look to score big. In the past few months, we have been doing well in Tests. We did well against Australia. All credit should go to the team."
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