Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto led from the front with his superlative ton as he applied himself to put Bangladesh in a commanding position at the end of the first day’s play in Mirpur, Dhaka. Najmul Hossain Shanto lost the toss but his team won the day it has to be said. Shanto was the star of the show and was ably assisted by Mominul Haque who scored 91 off 200 balls. Mushfiqur Rahim is still there on 48* off 104 balls and is looking good alongside Litton Das after the two openers fell cheaply.
It was a tough day for the Pakistan bowlers after they had to toil hard after winning the toss and opting to field first. A wicket apiece in the end for Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali, and Noman Ali while Salman Ali Agha bowled 6 overs as well. In the end, it was Bangladesh’s day in Mirpur, Dhaka as Pakistan with a lot of hard work to do on Day 2.
Najmul Hossain Shanto & Mominul Haque steadies Bangladesh after the hosts lost both openers early in the morning session
Put into bat first, Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Shadman Islam came out to open for Bangladesh while Shaheen Afridi had the ball in hand for Pakistan. Joy started with a bang with a flick to deep square leg for a boundary. Afridi then gifted 4 leg byes as a bonus to the batting side. Mohammad Abbas came into the attack from the other end. He bowled a decent first over. Afridi continued and bowled a maiden. Islam broke the shackles as creamed the ball through extra cover for a boundary.
Hasan Joy got a reprieve as when batting on 4* with the score on 14, he edged the ball to the first slip fielder where debutant Abdullah Fazal dropped the catch. Shaheen was the unlucky bowler. Hasan got a streaky boundary away as the outside edge went away to the deep third man fence. Abbas continued and bowled a maiden over. Afridi struck first blood for Pakistan as he got rid of Joy for 8 off 19 balls with 2 fours to his name as the edge found the safe gloves of Mohammad Rizwan. That drop did not prove costly at all. Mominul Haque came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Afridi gave away 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side. Abbas bowled another maiden over. Afridi continued as Islam cleared his front leg and pulled it to deep midwicket for a boundary. Abbas bowled a decent over. We then had a change in bowling as Hasan Ali came into the attack next. Hasan struck straightaway as he removed Islam for 13 off 30 balls with 2 fours to his name as the edge found its way to Salman Ali Agha at second slip who took a sharp catch.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto came out to bat next. Mominul opened the bat face and guided it past point for a boundary. Abbas continued and bowled another probing over. Hasan bowled another good over. Bangladesh were 38/2 in 13 overs when we paused for the first Drinks of the day. Abbas continued after the break as Shanto shuffled across and punched the ball past mid-on for a boundary. Hasan continued and bowled a decent over. Abbas bowled another maiden over.
Hasan Ali continued as Mominul broke the shackles and it cut the ball past point for a boundary. The 50 came up for Bangladesh in 17 overs. Afridi returned to the attack as Shanto drove the ball straight past mid-on for a boundary to welcome him back into the attack. Hasan Ali continued as Shanto shuffled across ad pulled it away to deep midwicket for a boundary. Afridi continued as Mominul punched the ball past the bowler’s stumps for a boundary. Shanto crisply drove past covers for a boundary.
Salman Ali Agha came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over. Afridi continued as Mominul drove through cover point for a boundary as the 50-run stand came up between the two teams. Agha continued and bowled a decent over. Afridi bowled a maiden over. Agha continued as Shanto pumped him away with a pull over deep square leg for the first maximum of the day.
Noman Ali came into the attack next. The 100 came up for Bangladesh in 25.4 overs. Bangladesh reached 101/2 in 26 overs with Mominul Haque unbeaten on 31 off 57 balls alongside Shanto unbeaten on 39 off 50 balls. Players left the field for Lunch on Day 1.
Najmul Hossain Shanto’s superlative ton drives Bangladesh forward before the captain fell at the stroke of the Tea Break
Mominul Haque and Najmul Hossain Shanto came to resume proceedings for Bangladesh while Hasan Ali started the proceedings after Lunch. Hasan started with a maiden over. Mohammad Abbas came into the attack from the other end. He too bowled a maiden over. Hasan bowled another decent over. Abbas bowled a no ball as he overstepped. Shanto helped it on its way past the keeper for a boundary. Hasan Ali continued as Shanto reached his fifty with a pull along the ground to deep square leg for a boundary as he got to his 6th Test fifty off 71 balls.
Abbas continued and bowled another decent over. Hasan Ali continued as Mominul played it late and cut it over over cordon for a boundary. Mominul managed to get a triple at deep backward point. Abbas continued as Shanto drove it on the up past the diving cover for a triple. Afridi came back into the attack. Shanto leaned it through extra covers for a boundary as the 100-run stand came up between the two players. Abbas bowled another probing over.
Afridi continued as Mominul leaned into the drive through covers for a boundary. Noman Ali came into the attack next and started by overstepping. He bowled another no ball in the over despite being a spin bowler. Afridi bowled another tight over. Bangladesh reached 145/2 in 39 overs when players paused for the Drinks Break in the afternoon session.
Noman continued after the break and he overstepped again. Shaheen Afridi continued as Shanto rocked back and crunched it away past deep square leg for a boundary as the 150 came up for Bangladesh in 40.2 overs. Shanto again nailed the pull shot past deep square leg for a boundary. Mominul soon reached his 26th Test fifty in 102 balls with a brace off Noman. Hasan Ali returned and bowled a maiden over. Noman continued as Shanto skipped down the track and lofted it over covers for a boundary. Hasan Ali bowled another quiet over.
Noman continued as Shanto skipped down the track and lofted it over mid-off for a boundary. Hasan continued as Mominul ramped it over the keeper’s head for a boundary as the 150-run stand came up between the duo. Salman Ali Agha came back into the attack. He bowled a good over. Mohammad Abbas changed ends. Shanto took him on and thumped it away over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Agha bowled another decent over. Abbas bowled another maiden over. Agha continued and bowled a good over.
Shanto then reached his 9th Test hundred with a wonderful boundary past covers to get there in 129 balls. The 200 also came up for Bangladesh in 52.1 overs. But Abbas got rid of Shanto for 101 off 130 balls with 12 fours and 2 sixes to his name thanks to good usage of the DRS. The on-field umpire gave it NOT OUT and Pakistan reviewed and got the decision in their favour. Mushfiqur Rahim came out to bat next.
Bangladesh were 201/3 in 53 overs with Mominul unbeaten on 64 off 139 balls and Rahim unbeaten on 0 off 4 balls when players went off for the Tea Break.
Mominul Haque falls for 91 but Mushfiqur Rahim’s solid unbeaten innings ensures Bangladesh end Day 1 on the front foot
Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim resumed proceedings for Bangladesh after Tea while Noman Ali had the ball in hand for Pakistan. Noman conceded 4 byes to the batting side and also overstepped as well. Mohammad Abbas had ball in hand from the other end. He gave away 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side. Pakistan wasted a DRS on Mominul for LBW and lost a review. Noman continued and gifted 4 byes to the batting side. Abbas bowled another maiden over.
Noman Ali continued as Rahim crunched it past covers for a boundary. Then he brought out the sweep past deep midwicket for a boundary. Shaheen Afridi returned to the attack. He bowled a maiden. Noman bowled a good over as well. Afridi continued as Mominul shuffled across and clipped it to deep midwicket for a boundary. Mominul flicked the ball to deep fine leg for a boundary.
Noman continued and bowled a decent over. Afridi continued and bowled a maiden. Noman continued and bowled a no ball as he overstepped. Hasan Ali returned to the attack and bowled a good over. Noman continued as Mominul showed aggression as he skipped down the track back past the bowler to long-off for a boundary. Hasan bowled a maiden as well. Noman bowled another good over. Hasan bowled another good over. Noman kept things tight as well.
Bangladesh reached 261/3 in 70 overs as we paused for the Drinks break in the evening session. Hasan Ali continued after the break as Rahim got forward and showed the full face of the bat and drove it down the the ground past the bowler for a boundary. Noman bowled another good over. Mohammad Abbas came back into the attack as Rahim welcomed him back and sliced it to the left of backward point for a boundary. Noman bowled another No Ball.
Noman then finally broke through as he removed Mominul for 91 off 200 balls with 10 fours to his name as the finger was raised. Mominul reviewed in hope and burnt a review as well. Litton Das came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Abbas bowled a maiden over. Noman continued as Rahim managed to get a triple via a slog sweep to deep fine leg. Hasan Ali came back into the attack again. He bowled a decent over. Noman bowled another probing over.
Hasan Ali continued as Rahim got a streaky boundary away with a thick outside edge into the gap between slip and gully for a boundary. Noman bowled another tight over. 80 overs were bowled and second new ball was due now. Shaheen Afridi came back into the attack as the new ball was taken after 2 balls. Mohammad Abbas came back into the attack and bowled a good over. Afridi continued and bowled another tight over. Abbas overstepped as well. Rahim got the outside edge and the ball raced away past gully for a boundary as the 300 came up for Bangladesh in 83.3 overs.
Afridi came to bowl the last over of the game. He bowled a maiden over. Bangladesh were 301/4 after 85 overs. Mushfiqur Rahim was unbeaten on 48 off 104 balls with 6 fours to his name while Litton Das was unbeaten on 8 off 35 balls. 32 extras conceded by Pakistan Cricket Team.
From Pakistan’s point of view, Shaheen Afrid has figures of 1/67 in 19 overs. Mohammad Abbas has figures of 1/51 in 22 overs. Hasan Ali has figures of 1/54 in 18 overs. Noman Ali has figures of 1/80 in 20 overs. Salman Ali Agha bowled 6 overs for 25 runs and has 0 wickets.
What Lies Ahead on Day 2
It was Bangladesh’s day in Mirpur, Dhaka after losing the toss. Najmul Hossain Shanto hundred and Mominul Haque’s 91 has put them in a commanding position. Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das are at the crease. Mehidy Hasan Miraz will come in next. Bangladesh looks good to get 450-500 from here. Pakistan needs early wickets tomorrow morning and claw their way back in the game. Can they do it?
Let’s see what Day 2 unfolds for all of us tomorrow.
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