Bangladesh beats Pakistan by 78 runs to complete a 2-0 test series sweep

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SYLHET, Bangladesh (AP) — Taijul Islam finished with six wickets as Bangladesh dismissed Pakistan for 358 on Wednesday for a 78-run win in the second cricket test and a 2-0 sweep of the series.

The left-arm spinner took two of the three wickets to fall on Day 5 and returned 6-120 from 34.2 overs, clinching the series after helping reduce the tourists to 316-7 on Day 4.

Pakistan added 42 runs on the fifth morning before losing three wickets without addition to the total in 13 deliveries as Bangladesh rushed to victory.

Bangladesh won the first test by 104 runs.

The victory marked Bangladesh’s second successive series sweep against Pakistan, having previously completed a 2-0 victory in 2024.

The end of Mohammad Rizwan's defiant, 166-ball innings signaled the end of Pakistan's hopes of chasing down an improbable victory target of 437.

Rizwan (94) struck Nahid Rana (2-71) for consecutive boundaries in the third over of the day to make Pakistan’s intention clear. Sajid Khan also scored freely to maintain pressure on the bowlers from the home team.

But Taijul's breakthrough, dismissing Sajid for 28, ended a 54-run partnership, marked his 18th five-wicket haul in test matches and hastened the result.

In the next over, Rizwan cut a Shoriful Islam delivery straight to gully. Taijul wrapped up the Pakistan innings in the subsequent over by removing Khurram Shahzad for a duck.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket