By the time Babar Azam had faced 83 deliveries in the Sylhet Test, he looked completely set. Pakistan had already lost four wickets in the first session while replying to Bangladesh’s 279, which meant their premier batter was batting with even greater caution and responsibility.
But Nahid Rana once again found a way to outthink him. Returning for his second spell after the tea break, the Bangladesh pacer needed only four deliveries to dismiss Babar, who had just brought up his 31st Test fifty.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto handed Nahid the ball in the 40th over of the innings. The first delivery was on a hard length, pitched around the fourth stump. Babar comfortably worked it for a single. After a dot ball, Salman Agha rotated the strike with a single off the next delivery. Then came the fourth ball of the over, and with it, Nahid introduced a subtle but decisive variation.
It was not just a change of pace. Nahid also adjusted his length, pushing it slightly back while targeting middle stump. That is where Babar fell into the trap. Spotting the infield placement, the right-hander attempted a lofted on-drive towards the leg side.
But he could not adjust to the change in pace. The timing was off, and the execution suffered. Mushfiqur Rahim, stationed at mid-on, completed the catch with ease as Babar’s innings came to an end on 68 from 84 deliveries, an innings that included 10 boundaries.
Babar looked visibly disappointed afterwards, knowing it was not a shot he had intended to play. There was a sense of disbelief in his reaction, as if he could not quite process how he had been undone. With one hand on his head, he walked back to the pavilion in frustration.
One technical detail stood out in the dismissal. Across the innings, Nahid had bowled 15 deliveries to Pakistan’s top batter, with most of them landing in the good length area. But for the wicket-taking delivery, Nahid pushed his length slightly deeper and also took pace off the ball. The previous delivery had been clocked at 149 kph. The ball that dismissed Babar came at 139 kph.
It was clearly something Babar had not anticipated. As he committed to the lofted on-drive, his bat face remained fully open. Normally, while playing a full-blooded drive, a batter’s bat face closes naturally through the shot. But because of the unexpected reduction in pace, Babar ended up playing too early, losing control of the stroke and offering a straightforward catch.
This was the third time in Test cricket that Babar was dismissed by Nahid. The previous two occasions came during Bangladesh’s historic 2-0 Test series win in Rawalpindi in 2024. In the second innings of the opening Test, Nahid cleaned up Babar with a full-length delivery. Then in the second innings of the following Test, he deceived him again, this time with extra pace from a good length outside the fourth stump. Babar was late on the shot, could only manage an outside edge, and the catch was safely taken by Shadman Islam at first slip.
Across those three innings, Babar has faced 39 deliveries from Nahid in Test cricket, scoring only 22 runs with three boundaries, averaging 7.30, and being dismissed on all three occasions.
However, Nahid remained unfazed by his success against one of the biggest names in international cricket. For the Bangladesh pacer, staying focused on his process matters more than the name of the batter at the other end.
Speaking at the press conference, Nahid said, “Getting any batter out feels good. Every wicket matters to me and to the team. You cannot bowl with your focus on just one batter, no matter how big a name he is in world cricket. I just try to stick to my process, execute my plans properly, and do whatever I can to help the team.”
Babar himself admitted that Nahid’s spell proved decisive. “The turning point was my wicket and Salman’s wicket. After that, there was no partnership. These two wickets changed the momentum of the game,” he said. Praising Nahid, who finished with figures of 12.4-1-60-3, Babar added, “Nahid Rana is now one of the fastest bowlers in red-ball cricket. Every team has bowlers who bowl at 140 to 150 kph, so you have to deal with that. I tried to give my best and play my natural game. Sometimes you succeed, sometimes you get out.”
