Miraz kept faith even as the match swung, satisfied with series win

After two one-sided matches, the final game of the series seemed set for a dramatic finish. That is exactly what unfolded, as the contest turned into a thrilling battle where momentum shifted repeatedly—sometimes tilting toward Bangladesh, at other times toward Pakistan. In a match that kept swinging like a pendulum until the closing moments, Bangladesh eventually emerged victorious, and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s belief in a win proved true.

In the series-deciding ODI against Pakistan on Sunday, Bangladesh posted 290 for 5 after batting first. Pakistan, in reply, lost five wickets quickly and were reduced to 82 for 5.

However, the visitors staged a comeback from that difficult position. Salman Ali Agha’s century revived Pakistan’s hopes, and at one stage the control of the match kept changing hands, creating uncertainty that lasted until the final over.

In the end, Bangladesh held their nerve under pressure to secure an 11-run victory. With that result, Miraz’s side sealed the series.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, the Bangladesh captain admitted that the pressure of the situation was very real. Despite that, he never lost confidence that his team would win the match. Reflecting on that tense moment, Miraz said,

“Of course there was pressure, but I believed we would win the match. The game had become very close and we couldn’t take wickets during the middle overs. If we could have picked up a few more wickets there, it would have been better.”

The series win has also had a positive impact on Bangladesh’s position in the ICC ODI rankings. By defeating the fourth-ranked team, Bangladesh earned three ranking points from the series. As a result, they moved up to ninth place, overtaking the West Indies.

According to Miraz, the team’s bowling unit played a major role behind this success. He believes the bowlers performed responsibly throughout the series. Praising the bowling attack, Miraz said,

“Overall, everyone played as a team. I think Nahid Rana bowled really well. He was not in the squad in the last series, but he has returned and performed well. He took five wickets in the first match. Taskin also bowled very well. Mustafizur did well too. The bowlers carried out their responsibilities very effectively. In the first match we bowled them out for 114. In the second match we didn’t do well in the first 10–12 overs, but later we came back strongly and took six wickets for 40 runs towards the end.”

Although satisfied with the bowling performance, the Bangladesh captain also acknowledged some concerns regarding the batting. However, he believes that playing on better and truer wickets would help the batters gain more confidence. Speaking about the batting, Miraz said,

“Yes, we do have some shortcomings in certain areas. The batters need to take responsibility. I think if we play on true wickets and good surfaces, the batters will gain a lot more confidence. In this series we played on true wickets and the batters scored runs here. This is how we are planning going forward.”