There was a change in guard as the Bangladesh cricket team cruised to a seven-wicket victory against Pakistan on April 19. This appears to mark a new balance of power in the subcontinent. The Bangladesh Tigers, as their cricket team is known, chased down Pakistan’s 239 with 71 balls to spare at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka. Bangladesh's score of 83 for 1 was its second highest in the first ten overs in an One-Day International. Pakistan recovered from 77 for 5 to post 239, but that posed absolutely no challenge to a rejuvenated Bangladesh cricket team."If we go into a game thinking we won't win because we have never won in the past, then we can never win. We have to change this way of thinking”, Bangladesh’s star batsmen Shakib Al Hasan said before the start of the series. “Bangladesh cricket will be at a standstill if we think it won't happen, as it didn't happen in 16 years”.The victory in the second ODI on Sunday meant that Bangladesh clinched its first series victory over Pakistan in any format since becoming an independent nation 44 years ago. This follows its victory in the first ODI on April 17, which was its first victory against Pakistan since 1999, and only the second time in any format. Now, Pakistan has lost twice in three days. In the first ODI, Bangladesh, batting first, put up a mammoth 329 on the board (its highest ever ODI total). Its bowlers responded well and bowled Pakistan out for just 250 runs. After winning the first ODI, Bangladesh broke its 25-match losing streak to Pakistan. The Bangladeshi player could be seen playing without any fear.Bangladesh’s top two batsmen – Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim – have scored as many runs as five Pakistani batsmen. In fact, Iqbal and Rahim are the only players to have scored centuries in the series with Iqbal scoring two of them. Iqbal also became only the third Bangladeshi – after Shahriar Nafees (in 2006) and Mahmudullah (in 2015) – to score back-to-back ODI centuries. On the bowling side, Bangladesh has also taken more wickets with a better economy rate."When we had returned home from the World Cup, there were moments when I felt whether we were being given too much importance," Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said after the series victory. "Continuing on our World Cup performance was on my mind, so the subsequent series was always going to be important. I think the boys should be proud of what they have achieved, but they don't need to make it too apparent”.In the World Cup of 1999, Bangladesh registered its first ever win against Pakistan, leaving the latter stunned on May 31 in Northampton. In that match, it was a top-order batting collapse for a team that should have easily chased down Bangladesh’s 223. For Bangladesh, it was an all-round bowling performance that had five bowlers taking wickets and the fielders producing three run-outs.Bangladesh’s record against Pakistan was the poorest among the other Test-playing nations. Pakistan has been dominating Bangladesh in all formats since 1999. Pakistan’s domination against Bangladesh got stronger year after year. There have been heartbreakingly close matches for Bangladesh but they all resulted in losses.In the Asia Cup of 2012, Bangladesh gave Pakistan a run for its money, not once but twice. In the group stage match, it posted 326, but only for Pakistan to chase it down with 3 wickets and one ball to spare. Then in the final, Bangladesh came agonisingly close again, only to fall 2 runs short in the end with Aizaz Cheema bowling the perfect final over for Pakistan. In the 2014 edition of the Asia Cup, Bangladesh posted 326 (its then highest ODI total) and it took a special innings from Shahid Afridi – 59 runs off just 25 balls – to deny it victory.Fast forward to April of 2015 and things have changed. Bangladesh has been a team on the ascent while Pakistan has been found floundering in recent times.Bangladesh has only won four ODI series against a top eight ranked team – twice against West Indies and twice against New Zealand. It won its first series against a top-eight ranked nation in July of 2009 when it whitewashed and shell shocked a West Indian team 3-0 in its own backyard. Then it whitewashed New Zealand in 2010 and 2013, while narrowly beating the West Indies again 3-2 in 2012. Bangladesh had – for the first time in its history – made it past the group stages of the World Cup last month. It did it in emphatic style by bowling out England to make it through.Pakistan, in recent times, has lost to New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa and England. Pakistan made the quarter-finals of the World Cup last month but didn’t even put up a fight against eventual champions Australia. Only four Pakistani players – Sarfraz Ahmed, Haris Sohail, Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali – are currently active in the squad from the team that fell to eventual champions Australia in the World Cup last month. The depleted team comes on the heels of the retirement of former ODI captain Misbah-ul-Haq and a spate of injuries. Despite that, its bowling attack is one that shouldn't be taken lightly.Pakistan has become only the fourth full-member nation to lose an ODI series to Bangladesh after Zimbabwe, West Indies and New Zealand.The real test for Bangladesh begins now. Regardless of what happens in the final ODI against Pakistan on April 22, Bangladesh must capitalise on its momentum and regularly beat other Test-playing nations if it wants to make a name for itself in the game that rules the subcontinent.