Another innings defeat for limp Bangladesh

Bangladesh crashed to their 35th innings defeat in 73 Tests, after Pakistan's spinners ran circles through the middle and lower order on the fourth morning in Chittagong. The result seemed inevitable right from the first day, when the hosts put on a batting horror show to fold for 135 in their first innings. They made a better fist of things in the second dig, though the pitch had turned much more difficult after baking under the sun for three days. Their late defiance, however, only served to extend the game into its 11th session, before Pakistan completed their fifth win in nine Tests this year.

That the hosts even survived until lunch was down to the opener Nazimuddin, whose approach contrasted sharply with the impatience of his top-order colleagues. He made 78 off 189 balls, taking his match tally on debut to 109, giving the hosts something to salvage from another shambolic Test match. Nazimuddin's vigil was particularly impressive given the sheer quality of spinners he was facing. With the rough patches on the leg-stump area opening up finally, Saeed Ajmal was lethal from round the stumps, while Abdur Rehman produced drift and sharp turn with an attacking line. Together, they made short work of a line-up that lacked the technique to survive against a spin attack far superior to their own.

The signs were ominous for Bangladesh from the moment Umar Gul got a ball to scoot low, just away from the stumps, in his opening over. Nazimiuddin nearly played on to Rehman, left balls that were uncomfortably close to off stump, and almost soft-batted a fizzing Ajmal offbreak back onto the wickets. He carried on, though, unfazed by the close misses, and was prepared to look ugly if he had to, unlike his trigger-happy team-mates.

Shakib Al Hasan began with an expansive cover drive off Umar Gul for four, but fell after reaching 50, outdone by his perilous tendency to play back to the spinners. That gave Rehman his 50th Test wicket in 11 Tests, joint-fastest for a Pakistan spinner, along with Ajmal. Rehman should have had Mushfiqur Rahim in the same over, but umpire Billy Doctrove adjudged the lbw appeal in the batsman's favour.

Nazimuddin reached his 50 with a nurdle through midwicket, and summoned the confidence to hoist Ajmal over mid-on for four. Adnan Akmal helped him along with two drops behind the stumps, and Nazimuddin celebrated by spooning Rehman inside-out, and planting Ajmal over midwicket for sixes. Two more pleasing fours followed, and Misbah-ul-Haq - a defensive captain at the best of times - promptly pushed men back to long-off, square leg and midwicket. That didn't stop Nazimuddin from another loft down the ground, and he grimaced in self-admonishment as soon as he played the shot, realising he had holed out to long-off.

Mushfiqur hung on gamely, reading the spin variations from the crease, but Mahmudullah was owned by an Ajmal doosra that spun across to hit off stump. Pakistan had five more overs before lunch to bring an early close to the action, but Mushfiqur and Elias Sunny survived till the break. The final rites were administered soon after, with Rehman trapping Mushfiqur in front for 49, and Aizaz Cheema getting the ninth wicket with the second new ball. Rubel Hossain was unavailable to bat after injuring himself on the third day, but he wasn't the only Bangladeshi who failed to turn up.