It still feels surreal that Bangladesh have won their first-ever Test series against Pakistan 2-0 and that too on Pakistan soil.

Nahid Rana took giant strides yesterday in showcasing he is the 'X-factor' in that Bangladesh pace battery. His raw pace hurt Pakistan, but in the manner in which he dismantled the hosts showed there was a matured head on his shoulders.

South African fast bowling legend Allan Donald has been heavily credited for his role in Bangladesh’s pace revolution during his tenure as the team’s pace bowling coach from March 2022 to November 2023. The 57-year-old, who resigned after the ICC World Cup in India, is still a big supporter of the Tigers and keeps in touch with the Bangladesh pacers. On Monday, Donald spoke with The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan over the phone from Johannesburg, where he expressed immense pleasure at seeing his former pupils doing so well in Pakistan. Here are the excerpts:

For the first time since 2009 an away Test series sweep beckons Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Day 5 of the second Test against Pakistan, but chances of rain playing spoilsport -- as it had done on Monday to wipe out the third session -- can dampen the tourists' party, with Tigers needing 143 more runs to win.

Bangladesh pacer Hasan Mahmud revealed that the Tigers were looking to finish the game by the end of Day 4 of the second Test against Pakistan at the Rawalpindi Stadium on Monday.

Bangladesh’s pace trio of Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana and Taskin Ahmed ran roughshod over Pakistan and etched their names in the annals of the country’s cricket by taking all 10 wickets in Pakistan’s second innings in the second Test in Rawalpindi today.

Just four years ago, Rana was nowhere near competitive cricket. The 21-year-old, who picked up a cricket ball for the first time after crossing 18, has made it to the national team in express speed.

Rana’s very first delivery in international cricket was at 146 km/h, which for a 21-year-old pacer who picked up the cricket ball after turning 18, was quite remarkable.

After an eventful opening day of the Sylhet Test yesterday, Bangladesh find themselves in a vulnerable position against Sri Lanka, paying dearly for the on-field and tactical errors they made on the day.

Bangladesh bowling coach Andre Adams asserted that there were no demons on the pitch after the end of Day 1 of the first Test at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet on Friday.

A pivotal opening session awaits Bangladesh tomorrow.

“I want to bowl as fast as possible. I want to maintain my line and length also. Besides, another strength of mine is giving bouncers. That effort will be there if I get the chance,” Rana told The Daily Star yesterday.

Pacer Nahid Rana received his maiden call-up as Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 15-member squad for the first of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka starting on Friday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet.