Pakistan crush Bangladesh

Pacemen Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar shared eight wickets to help Pakistan crush Bangladesh by an innings and 169 runs in the second and final Test in Chittagong, Bangladesh, on Friday.

Waqar finished with four for 36 and and Shoaib four for 48 as Bangladesh were dismissed for 148 in their second innings after conceding a 317-run lead on the third day.

Pakistan won the two-Test series 2-0, having beaten the hosts by an innings and 178 runs in the opening match at Dhaka last week.

The tourists, who declared their first innings closed at 465-9 soon after Yousuf Youhana had reached his second Test double-century, took less than two sessions to dismiss the home team.

Waqar did the initial damage, swinging the ball early in the innings to strike three quick blows.

Javed Omar, Al Sahariar and Mehrab Hossain failed to read the movement and were snapped up by agile wicket-keeper Rashid Latif.

Shoaib supported his captain from the other end, taking the important wicket of Aminul Islam with a superb yorker.

However, he was more destructive with the old ball as he removed Enamul Haque, Fahim Muntasir and Mohammad Sharif in the same over.

Haque was bowled by a yorker and Muntasir was beaten by the pace of the third delivery. The bowler then removed Sharif off the last ball of the over.

Waqar dismissed last-man Manjural Islam in the very next over to finish the match.

Habibul Bashar was the only Bangladeshi batsman to defy the Pakistan pace attack, scoring 51 for his ninth half- century in 11 Tests.

The 29-year-old struck nine boundaries in his 49-ball knock before being caught bat-pad at short-leg from a delivery by off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.

The off-spinner then had Muntasir caught in the slips to finish with two for 34.

Earlier, Youhana scored a career-best 204 not out as Pakistan gained their 317-run lead.

Youhana, 174 overnight, struck 34 boundaries and two sixes in his 242-ball knock. The declaration came when he crossed his previous best of 203, scored against New Zealand at Christchurch last year.

This is the third consecutive innings win for Pakistan over Bangladesh, after they won by an innings and 264 runs in an Asian Test championship match at Multan last year.

Neither of the Tests of this one-sided series managed to last a full three days.

Mail Cricket Editor