Mehidy Hasan Miraz wasn't supposed to be a big factor on what was effectively the first day of the second Test in Rawalpindi. The pitch had such a green tinge that both captains said they would bowl first if given the choice. Najmul Hossain Shanto got the call correct at the toss, so he got the first use of the pitch.
Bangladesh's fast bowlers, however, couldn't quite break through as expected, and a century stand from the second-wicket pair of Saim Ayub and Shan Masood moved Pakistan to a promising 107 for 1 inside the 28th over.
Bangladesh needed someone to step up. Enter Mehidy.
This has been the story of Bangladesh's tour so far. In the first Test, they were six down and 116 runs adrift of Pakistan's first-innings total when Mehidy walked to the crease. He had proceeded to add 196 with Mushfiqur Rahim, a Bangladesh record for the seventh wicket. Then, on the following morning, he had picked up four wickets including the crucial scalps of Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha. Mushfiqur was adjudged Player of the Match for his 191, but Mehidy's all-round contribution was just as vital to Bangladesh's historic win.
On Saturday, Mehidy could not expect too much help from the surface. But he has tools to compensate for that, and he showed this shortly after the lunch break. He likes to target the left-handers' pads while bowling round the wicket to left-handers, releasing the ball with his arm slightly away from his ears, creating a testing angle into the batters. He often gets the ball to go through straight with the angle, but sometimes he gets one to grip and turn. He bowled one such ball to Masood, and sneaked past his bat when he played slightly across the line. Masood reviewed the lbw decision, but he had to walk back when the ball-tracking projection showed the ball hitting middle and leg stump.
Six overs later, Mehidy had Ayub stumped when the left-hander tried to flog him down the ground. You could sense that Mehidy knew the shot was coming, as Ayub had stepped out a number of times against him. It was instructive to look at the speedgun reading: this ball clocked 83.8kph, significantly slower than the 88.3kph ball that had dismissed Masood, which is more in the range Mehidy tends to operate in. Ayub ended up a long way from the pitch of the ball, and nowhere near it when it turned past him.
Those two wickets changed the complexion of the day's play, and Mehidy continued to operate steadily as Bangladesh chipped away at the opening Mehidy had created. When they got to the lower order, Mehidy burst through it, much as he had done on the final day of the fourth Test. He had Khurram Shahzad caught at mid-off, then got Mohammad Ali to edge to slip, before Abrar Ahmed missed a delivery that turned a bit, giving Litton Das his second stumping.
That wicket completed Mehidy's third five-for on foreign soil to go with his seven at home. He has had to fight a reputation of only doing well at home; this performance will do him a world of good in that regard.
And this tour hasn't been a one-off by any means. Since the start of 2022, he averages under 30 in away Tests, a period in which Bangladesh have toured New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies and now Pakistan. He took three-fors in each innings in Durban, and his last four away Tests have brought him three four-fors or better, in Antigua and now twice in Rawalpindi.
Mehidy has now picked up 10 or more wickets in three separate overseas Test series. He is the only Bangladesh bowler to do this, with Shakib Al Hasan having done so twice.
Mehidy's rise has come at a pivotal time for Bangladesh. They have an ever-improving pace attack. They still have Shakib as their lead spinner, and the dependable Taijul Islam too. Mehidy is beginning to show now he can step up in difficult moments, with his captain able to trust him to hold an end up in unhelpful overseas conditions and take up a more central, wicket-taking role in home Tests.
Speaking at the end of the day's play, Mehidy reflected on the work he had done behind the scenes on his game when he was not part of Bangladesh's squad at the T20 World Cup in June.
"It was a very good wicket, but then I got some turn towards the end of the day," Mehidy said. "I think there are days when luck also favours you. It was an overall good day. It feels great to take a five-wicket haul in Pakistan. It is a huge thing for me. People often say that I get a lot of five-fors at home, but it is always a happy occasion to get a five-for on foreign soil, that too on a good wicket. There are more challenges for spinners in these conditions. I want to continue, and develop my skill more.
"I got four months to prepare myself when everyone was away at the T20 World Cup. I used that time in Dhaka very well. I camped with the Bangladesh Tigers. I worked hard under Sohel [Islam] sir with my bowling, and my batting with [Mizaunur Rahman] Babul sir. I think this series is a result of that preparation for me."
Mehidy's batting too has improved immensely over the last few years, to the point where he played as a middle-order batter in the ODI World Cup last year. His century against Afghanistan during the Asia Cup convinced the Bangladesh team management that they could play around with their combination and batting order by using Mehidy as a floater.
He has a more fixed role in Tests, where he generally bats at No. 8.
"I always try to contribute with the bat," he said. "I am often the last recognised batter. It is funny because our batters rely on the fact that I am there at the end. Everyone relies on me. At the end of the day, it is good that everyone can rely on me. I have done well when I have been promoted up the order. I know that I can't bat above this position [right now], which is okay with me."
Mehidy's development as an allrounder has come in the shadow of Shakib, Bangladesh's most illustrious cricketer and one of the greatest allrounders in cricket history. This initially meant Mehidy wasn't always noticed, because the fans, the media, and probably even oppositions were focused on Shakib all the time. It probably helped Mehidy, ensuring that all he had to worry about was his own growth as a cricketer. It must have suited him perfectly too, since he has always come across as a straightforward, grounded individual, focused on his cricket and his family.
Having Shakib around has had other benefits too. Shakib bats higher up the order, and tended to bowl more overs too, at in the early part of Mehidy's career.
"We have played together for a long time, Shakib bhai and myself," Mehidy said. "He gives the team a huge advantage. When we play together, the team gets two batters and two bowlers. I have got opportunities up the order when he doesn't play, but then I come back to No. 8 when he is in the team."
At some point, both Bangladesh and Mehidy will have to think about life without Shakib, and that point may not be too far away. At that point, Mehidy will have to step up as the team's main allrounder. So far, the signs are that he is eminently capable of doing so.