Pakistan crush Bangladesh: Dream comeback by Kaneria

Danish Kaneria completed a dream comeback when he bagged a match haul of 12 for 94 as Pakistan sent minnows Bangladesh spinning to defeat by an innings and 264 runs well inside three days of the Asian Test Championship opener remaining at the Multan Cricket Stadium Friday.

The 20-year-old Karachiite, who claimed six for 42 in the first innings, followed up with six for 52 in the second as Bangladesh were bundled out for 148 some 45 minutes before an extended first session of the third day.

The newest Test nation had resumed this morning at 55 for three and required 412 to make the reigning champions bat again.

The victory margin was also the sixth biggest in the 122-year-old history of Test cricket and second largest since the West Indies beat New Zealand by an innings and 322 runs at Wellington in 1995. Pakistan had also equaled Australia's world record of five centuries in an innings in this Test when Saeed Anwar, debutant Taufiq Umer, Inzamamul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana and Abdur Razzaq reach three figures.

Waqar Younis' promise of securing maximum points was also fulfilled when Pakistan collected 24 points - 16 on the basis of an innings win and four each for bowling and batting. His opposite number Naimur Rahman, who had hoped to get a couple of bonus points, however, returned empty handed.

Without belittling Danish's marvelous bowling performance, Bangladesh's inept display raises questions of whether they were given the Test status prematurely. It was Bangladesh's fourth successive defeat since getting into the ICC fold last June. With all due respect to Bangladesh, they were no better than a club side of Karachi and Lahore.

Danish was simply unplayable on the third day against an indisciplined and out of sorts Bangladesh batsmen.

Lady Luck continued to smile on Waqar Younis as he wrapped up the tail after removing the openers on Thursday to finish with four for 19. He had match figures of six for 44 - an excellent achievement considering the fact that the strip had nothing much for the pacers.

Captaincy seems to have suited the once toe-crusher as he looks the same bowler who was once hungry for wickets and had fire in his bowling but got little opportunity to deliver.

If Waqar managed to take six wickets, Wasim Akram remained wicketless from his 19 overs in the match. Wasim bowled well, defeated the bat several times and saw a couple of catches dropped of his bowling.

As regards Bangladesh, one-down batsman Habibul Bashar delayed the inevitable after the tourists had slumped to 96 for eight. He added 45 runs for the ninth wicket with Hasibul Hossain to prolong the innings.

Habibul remained undefeated on 56 that included five boundaries. But Hasibul was more aggressive belting for fours and a six in his 23-ball 31.

Bangladesh now proceed to Colombo where they will play Sri Lanka between Sept 6 and 10. Pakistan players will reassemble on Sept 6 to attend a 10-day camp.