da fezbet： Our Bangladesh correspondent enjoys the cricket, but even more so the food and sights of Islamabad and Lahore

da dobrowin： Mohammad Isam06-Sep-2024August 18
For my first ride to the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Talib . Still, I’m surprised by how close the border is to Lahore city. Once we’re inside the area, we are served tea. We hear thunder outside. It’s pouring in Wagah, but the ceremony will go on. We find seats in the second row.The gallery on the Indian side is overwhelmingly huge. One of the main competitions between the two sides here is the music – both trying to drown out the other. The parade starts around 5:35pm. The two flags are pulled down as it ends and the gates are shut, although it is with less vigour these days, I’m told. The rain continues as we head back. Despite my anticipation, the music and the loud cheers around me, what I saw left me contemplative – partition, borders and the great divide.I meet senior journalist Sohail Imran for dinner at a restaurant called Bundu Khan. We have known each other since 2011 when we used to joke that Sohail bhai is such a regular visitor to Dhaka that he might as well get a house there.The sun sets behind Lahore’s Mughal-era Badshahi Mosque•Luke Mackenzie/Getty ImagesAugust 28
Ijaz Chowdhury, a sports writer who lives in Lahore, meets me at the Gymkhana club. He tells me about the city’s sporting history, in particular the Gymkhana and its cricketing roots. Later, Umar drives me around the Gaddafi Stadium, which is under construction ahead of the Champions Trophy next year. He shows me where the Sri Lanka team bus was attacked in 2009.I quite like the area around the Gaddafi, which reminds me of Mirpur. The drive is slightly narrower than the way to the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. There are restaurants on one side of the stadium here versus furniture stores around the Mirpur venue – all of which are forced to close when matches are held in the two cities.August 29
Training is called off because of rain. While we wait for more updates, Behram takes me to the Lok Virsa Museum in the Shakarparian Hills. It is an impressive collection of Pakistan’s living culture. The rain doesn’t let up but this is probably my last chance to visit the Pakistan Monument, which I have been passing every day while travelling to the stadium. Today however, rain obscures the view of the city of Islamabad from the hills.August 30
By the time the announcement of the first day’s play being washed out comes, around mid-day, Danyal, Behram and I are already settled in a cafe.September 1
Pakistan are bowled out for 274 on day two of the second Test in Rawalpindi, but Bangladesh fall to 26 for 6 in the first hour of day three. Mehidy, who has promised his captain that he will resurrect the Bangladesh innings, joins Litton Das at the crease. They get through to lunch and then thrive in the second session. Litton, who kept wicket all day yesterday, scores his fourth Test hundred. He walks gingerly to the press conference but is in a good mood as he signs the honours board.Tricked-out truck: a colourful sight en route to Lahore•Mohammad Isam/ESPNcricinfo LtdSeptember 2
Another implosion from Pakistan. This time, it’s Rana who takes out their core – Shan Masood, Babar and Saud Shakeel. Rana, however, has no celebration to match his pace and bounce. He simply walks up to his team-mates after a wicket. That’s the only thing out of place in this scene of a fast bowler steaming in and blowing away a batting line-up in Shoaib Akhtar’s home town.Bangladesh begin their 185-run chase under dark clouds. Zakir whips a six that takes the small crowd by surprise. Bangladesh, however, walk off frustrated as bad light stops play. There’s lightning and then steady rain.The weather also threatens our plan to play tape-ball cricket at night. The astroturf is wet but luckily the rain stops around 10:30pm. Karam, Behram’s nephew, bowls fast, and I can only make contact with an uppercut. Danyal hits a match-winning six but in the next game, Behram’s brother, Haroon, prevents us from scoring 12 in the last over.September 3
Before I can draw open the curtains in my room, I get a few nervous messages from Dhaka asking about the weather in Rawalpindi – Bangladesh need 143 to win on the final day of the series. The sun is out.Bangladesh take their sweet time to get to the target. When Shakib scores the winning runs at 2:30pm, Mushfiqur lets out a scream and wipes away a tear. He does the sajda and hugs Shakib. The two have been playing together since their schoolboy days. They shed tears after losing the 2012 Asia Cup final two Pakistan by two runs. They regretted the Bengaluru T20 World Cup nightmare against India in 2016. They have seen it all, and now they have taken the team to a historic 2-0 win in Pakistan.The Pakistan Monument in Islamabad•Muhammed Semih Ugurlu/Getty ImagesI get ample time to do interviews with Shanto and Mehidy in the press box while Pakistan captain Shan Masood spends half an hour answering questions at the press conference. Shanto and Mehidy are relaxed, pulling my leg every few minutes about being the only travelling journalist on this tour. When I ask them a question, they repeat it to each other. I try to figure out how I am going to write this interview.I come back to Behram’s place where his parents congratulate me on the Test win. We talk a bit about politics before Behram lets me use his home studio for a video interview. It is a really impressive facility.We head over to Kabul restaurant once again for dinner – my request for a repeat as it has been a highlight of the tour. We are joined by Behram’s colleague Saad Nasir. Aizaz and Abu Bakar Tarrar, another cricket writer, say goodbye after dinner. They have been like my younger brothers on this tour.September 4
The Bangladesh team have already reached Karachi, and later head to Dubai for their connecting flights back to Dhaka. The country awaits its heroes. Shanto posted a photo of him sleeping with the series trophy. He described the win as the greatest moment of his life. Bangladesh have done so many great things in Rawalpindi that they can build into something substantial in the coming years.For me, the win was the biggest surprise of my life. I was dreading long boring days of having to watch one-sided Tests when I arrived. But it turned out to be the exact opposite. Every sportswriter wants a good contest, but getting to watch an underdog triumph is the dream. Bangladesh might just have pulled off cricket’s greatest underdog story, this time in Pakistan.