Pak’s Naseem youngest to take Test hat-trick, Bangla face defeat
Rawalpindi, February 9
Teenage paceman Naseem Shah became the youngest player to record a Test hat-trick as Pakistan closed in on victory against Bangladesh. Just when Bangladesh seemed to have fought their way back into the match at 124/2 in their second innings minutes before the close on the third day, Shah destroyed them with three wickets off successive deliveries.
Aged 16 years and 359 days, he becomes the youngest player to record a Test hat-trick, besting Bangladeshi Alok Kapali who achieved the feat aged 19 in 2003.
Shah trapped Najumul Hossain Shanto leg before off the fourth ball of his seventh over for 38, then followed up with dismissals of Taijul Islam (LBW) and Mahmudullah (caught) off the next two deliveries. Shah had figures of 4/26 before he left the field with a shoulder injury.
Shanto and Mominul Haque, unbeaten on 37 at the close, had added 71 for the third wicket after they lost Saif Hassan on 16 and Tamim Iqbal on 34. At the close, Bangladesh were 126/6, needing another 86 runs to avoid an innings defeat with two days to play. Pakistan were bowled out for 445 in their first innings with Babar Azam scoring 143 and Haris Sohail 75. — AFP
Brief Scores: Bangladesh: 233 and 126/6 (Shanto 38*, Mominul 37*, Liton 0*; Shah 4/26); Pakistan: 445 (Azam 143, Sohail 75, Shafiq 65; Abu Jayed 3/86, Rubel 3/113)
Highlights
- 17 Shah’s feat surpassed former Bangladesh leg-spinner Alok Kapali, who held the record for 17 years, having taken a Test hat-trick vs Pak in August 2003 at the age of 19
- 16 Years and 307 days old Naseem Shah became the youngest fast bowler and second-youngest bowler overall to take five wickets in a Test innings. He achieved that feat against Sri Lanka in Karachi last year
“It was an outstanding second spell by Naseem. I really enjoyed watching him bowling in the field. The best thing about Naseem is that he bowls according to the plan and he’s learning fast” Babar Azam, Pak batsman
