Fast bowlers racing in. Bouncers leaping past batters' heads, throats and ears. Unsure footwork, ball thudding into pads or the splice of the bat. Bails and stumps flying. It is a sight for sore eyes in Bangladesh where fast bowling was all but dead six years ago. It was more spin and guile that won Bangladesh Test matches for the longest time; there was both on show at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Fire and ice, really.
Hang on. How does pace, fire and rattling stumps come to the Shere Bangla National Stadium, that too on the fifth day. More precisely, the third session of the fifth day.
This was a new type of a Dhaka Test where the fast bowlers dominated throughout the five days. Nahid Rana's final spell of 4.5-2-10-4 seemed almost inevitable, especially with the way Bangladesh bowled on the fifth day.
But it wasn't just pace. Spin and pace shared the 20 wickets equally in this match. It is the only time in the last ten years when Bangladesh have won a Test that this has happened. It is not like Bangladesh's fast bowlers haven't dominated teams at home and away. They have collectively taken 10 or more wickets in four previous wins during this period. Spinners have dominated similarly in 13 of these Test wins; they have taken all 20 wickets three times.
There are at least couple of instances when a pace bowler was not in the playing XI, and some Tests when pacers bowled fewer than ten overs. Pace bowling was almost history in Bangladesh around the end of 2019.
This Test therefore feels like a long way from that mindset. The fast bowlers' ten wickets in this game came in crucial moments. None more so than when Rana bowled an exaggerated inducker to Mohammad Rizwan.
The ball was slightly shorter than the hard length that Rana bowls, which is probably why Rizwan decided to leave the ball. But then came the pronounced inward seam movement that left everyone, from Rana to the small crowd to his bowling coach Shaun Tait, with a big smile.
"We were surprised to see Rana reverse the ball," Shanto said after Bangladesh's win. "Litton and I were talking after that delivery that neither of us expected the ball to move so far back into the batter after pitching. It is a really good sign that Rana is also getting to reverse the ball. Taskin (Ahmed), Ebadot (Hossain), Shoriful (Islam) and Khaled (Ahmed) can all reverse the ball, so now Rana is also doing it."
Bangladesh had declared their second innings on 240 for 9, leaving Pakistan to score 268 runs in the remaining 70-odd overs. It played out the way Bangladesh had planned on the fourth day. Shanto said that they had so much confidence in their bowlers that they took the bold decision to declare with so much left to play on the fifth day.
"The reason behind taking this decision is the bowling attack that we have," Shanto said. "The five bowlers that we played in this match, all of them are skilled and all of them bowled well. I think the way (Mehidy Hasan) Miraz started in this innings, the way Taskin took the first wicket, we got the momentum from there. Then I think Taijul (Islam) bhai bowled well in the middle overs. He didn't get that many opportunities to bowl in the first innings. So I think four or five bowlers contributed. Especially in this innings, that spell by Taskin and Rana was outstanding.
"In the dressing rooms, we always discuss bowling partnership, bowling partnership, bowling partnership. I think Taskin and Miraz bowled very well in tandem in the first innings. In the second innings too, Taijul, Taskin, Rana and Miraz bowled well in pairs. We have to give credit for bowling throughout the entire Test match."
Shanto said that Mehidy Hasan Miraz too had a major say in the match, following his 5 for 102 in the first innings. It is only the second time that a Bangladesh fast bowler and spinner took a five-wicket haul each in a Test match at home.
"The spinners should be given some credit," Shanto said. "They took wickets, and also held up one end. So when I bring the fast bowler at that point, the batter has to deal with a change in mindset quickly. It is never an easy adjustment. I think Miraz did especially well in the first innings, picking up five wickets. In these situations, it is very important to read the game, to create that kind of environment."
As Rana bowled through his final spell, the small crowd tried to raise the noise as he ran in for every ball. When he bounced out Afridi to take the last wicket, celebrations began in earnest on and off the field.
Bangladesh wrapped up the game when Rana had Shaheen Afridi fending a lifter to short leg. Shanto said that Rana bouncing Afridi had a connection with how Afridi had struck Rana with a bouncer in the end of the Bangladesh first innings on the second day. Rana needed the physio's attention, but then continued to bat.
"I think they have figured out that if you are going to bounce Rana, you can expect him to give it back," Shanto said. "I wouldn't have bowled a bouncer to Rana if I was him. It feels good to see that we can give it back. We can give a fitting reply."