Kayes, who moved shoulder to shoulder with Tamim during the stand, fell for 150, but there was no stopping Tamim. He had kick-started Bangladesh's resurgence in the Test and went on with unwavering resolve to register the highest Test score - 206 - by a Bangladesh batsman.
As Tamim walked back after a rare mistake in the 99th over, Mohammad Hafeez, the successful bowler, was the first one to congratulate him on an enthralling innings that was both serene and audacious. And it came at a time of grief in the family. .
The draw in Khulna was in line with improvements Bangladesh have shown across formats after a difficult 2014. The transformation happened somewhere along the home series win against Zimbabwe last October, continued through the World Cup down under and if there were still doubts after the ODI and Twenty20 wins against Pakistan, the first Test should quell them.
It was the first time in nine Tests that Pakistan were not able to force a win against Bangladesh. Irrespective of the conditions, that stat alone was a huge boost for Bangladesh cricket. Pakistan, a few rungs above the home side in Test rankings, are still favourites ahead of the Dhaka Test, but will be under severe pressure.
The seeds of doubt for Pakistan were solely sown by the Tamim-Kayes stand. The striking feature of the batsmanship was the ability to change gears from time to time
Tamim had said before the start of play on the final day that it was crucial for Bangladesh to keep their concentration through the first session as they were still behind in the Test, and both he and Kayes took time to set themselves up again. Only six runs were scored in the first five overs, with Kayes playing out three maidens on the trot from Junaid Khan, one more than what they had played in the 61 overs yesterday.