Wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan showed great character and so did most Pakistani batters as the tourists batted out the day and took the Test match to Day 5. It was a spirited performance by Mohammad Rizwan & Co as Pakistan ended the day at 316/7 in the chase of 437. Bangladesh still have their noses in front if we look at it from overall point of view. But this day belonged to Pakistan and their grit and determination.
Bangladesh bowlers had to toil hard and work hard for their wickets. They have managed to take 7 wickets so far and Taijul Islam has been the pick of the bowlers with 4 wickets. Nahid Rana has 2 wickets, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz has 1 wicket. So, we go to Day 5 with Pakistan needing 121 more runs to win while Bangladesh needs 3 more wickets. Rizwan is the key alongside the tail.
Shan Masood & Babar Azam steadied things for Pakistan after losing both openers in the morning session
The two openers, Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal, resumed proceedings for Pakistan while Taskin Ahmed had the ball in hand for Bangladesh. Azan was off and running with a crisp drive through the covers for a boundary. Shoriful Islam had the ball in hand from the other end. Fazal then pounced on the width and crunched it past Gully for a boundary. Taskin continued as Azan swivel pulled it away behind square for a boundary. Taskin gifted away 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side. Shoriful continued and bowled a better over.
Taskin continued and bowled a good over. Shoriful too kept things tight. Nahid Rana came into the attack for the first time this innings. He bowled a decent first over. Shoriful bowled a maiden. Nahid stuck first blood for Pakistan as he dismissed Fazal for 6 off 28 balls with one four to his name as the edge found the gully fielder who took a good catch. Captain Shan Masood came out to bat next. Rana bowled a wicket maiden. Shoriful bowled another good over.
Rana continued as Masood shuffled across and clipped it away to the deep fine leg fielder for a boundary. Masood slapped it away with a cut shot in front of square for a boundary. Spin came into the attack as Mehidy Hasan Miraz came into the attack next. He started with a maiden. Pakistan were 39/1 in 14 overs when we paused for the Drinks Break in the morning session.
Rana continued after the break and bowled a maiden. Mehidy struck gold for Bangladesh as he dismissed Azan for 21 off 49 balls with 2 fours to his name as he was adjudged LBW. The umpire gave it OUT. The batter reviewed but umpire’s call meant the review was retained but the batter had to depart. Babar Azam came out to bat next. Rana continued as Babar hung back and cut it powerfully behind square for a boundary. Miraz continued and bowled another decent over.
Rana continued as the 50 came up for Pakistan in 18.2 overs. Mehidy bowled another probing over. Taskin Ahmed came back into the attack. Masood broke the shackles as he crunched the cover drive for a boundary. Miraz continued and Bangladesh were generous to gift Pakistan 4 overthrow runs to Masood. Taskin continued as Masood clipped it past mid-on for a boundary and he overstepped as well. Masood then shuffled across and leant into the cover drive for a boundary.
Miraz continued as Shan punched the ball past the sweeper for a boundary. Babar managed to get a triple past Taskin at cover point region. Taijul Islam came into the attack for the first time. Babar rocked back to the short and wide ball and cut it hard to the point fence for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Mehidy came to bowl the last over before Lunch and gifted 4 byes to the batting side. The 100 came up for Pakistan in 25.1 overs.
Pakistan reached 101/2 in 26 overs with Shan who was batting unbeaten on 41 off 55 balls alongside Babar Azam who was unbeaten on 24 off 25 balls. The players left the field at Lunch on Day 4.
Bangladesh chips away at the wickets to put pressure on Pakistan in the afternoon session
Shan Masood and Babar Azam resumed proceedings for Pakistan while Taijul Islam had the ball in hand for Bangladesh. Babar welcomed back Taijul with a maximum as he rocked back quickly to open his stance and muscle it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Mehidy Hasan Miraz had the ball in hand from the other end. Miraz bowled a good over. Taijul bowled a better over. Mehidy too kept the scoring down.
Taijul continued as Babar helped it on its way with a sweep to the deep fine leg fence for a boundary. Mehidy bowled another good over. Taijul bowled a maiden over. Nahid Rana returned. Babar whipped it away past midwicket for a boundary. Taijul continued as Shan reached his 14th Test fifty in 82 balls. Taijul broke the threatening stand as he removed Babar for 47 off 52 balls with 4 fours and one six to his name as he was caught down the leg side with a sharp catch from keeper Litton Das. Saud Shakeel came out to bat next.
Miraz bowled a tight over. Taijul had his tail up and kept it under check. Miraz bowled another good over. Taijul now started to trouble the batters a bit. Mehidy bowled another good over. Taijul continued as Shan broke the shackles with a pull past deep square leg for a boundary. Miraz bowled another good over. Taijul bowled another good over. Pakistan were 152/3 in 43 overs when players paused for Drinks in the afternoon session.
Nahid Rana returned after the break. Rana then got the breakthrough for Bangladesh as he removed Shakeel for 6 off 21 balls, caught behind. Shakeel reviewed in hope and burnt it in the process. Salman Ali Agha came out to bat next and got off the mark with a double. Taijul continued as Shan drilled it past mid-off for a boundary. Taijul then struck for Bangladesh as he removed the set batter and captain Shan Masood for 71 off 116 balls with 8 fours to his name as the ball hit it to the short leg fielder.
Keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan came out to bat next. Rana continued as Salman edged the ball after looking for a cut shot, and the ball went past the diving keeper for a boundary. Taijul continued as Salman used his feet and whipped it to deep midwicket for a boundary. Salman used the pace of the bowler and got it past the slips for a boundary. Rana continued as Rizwan was on the go, pulling it to deep square leg for a boundary and then drove it through the covers for a boundary.
Taijul continued and bowled a good over. Shoriful Islam returned and bowled a maiden. Taijul continued as Salman whacked it away over long-off down the ground for the maximum. Shoriful bowled a good, tight over. Taijul continued as the 200 came up for Pakistan in 52.1 overs. Pakistan reached 200/5 in 53 overs with Rizwan unbeaten on 15 off 26 balls and Salman unbeaten on 25 off 27 balls when players left the field for the Tea Break.
Mohammad Rizwan’s fighting innings keeps Bangladesh at bay despite losing a couple of wickets in the final session
Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha came out to resume proceedings for Pakistan while Shoriful Islam had the ball in hand for Bangladesh. Rizwan leant into the ball and crunched the ball through the covers for a boundary. Taijul Islam operated from the other end. He bowled a tight over. Shoriful bowled a decent over. Taijul continued as Salman skipped down the track and punched the ball firmly down to long-on for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between these two.
Nahid Rana came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Taijul Islam kept things under check. Rana continued as Rizwan cut the ball past the gully fielder for a boundary. Taijul bowled another good over. Taskin came back into the attack next. He bowled a good over. Taijul continued and bowled a decent over. Taskin bowled a probing over. Taijul continued as Rizwan skipped down the track and lofted it over covers for a boundary.
Taskin continued as Rizwan creamed the ball through the covers for a boundary. Mehidy Hasan Miraz came back into the attack as Rizwan hurt his hamstring as well. He got up after the physio applied the magic spray. Taijul changed ends and bowled a maiden. Mehidy bowled another decent over. Rizwan got a full ball down the leg side, Rizwan nailed the sweep behind square for a boundary. Rizwan reached his fifty his 14th in Test in 86 balls. Pakistan were 253/5 in 70 overs when we paused for the final Drinks Break of the day.
Mehidy continued after the break. He bowled a good over. Taijul continued as Salman got a triple through sweeper cover. Mehidy continued as the 100-run stand came up between Salman and Rizwan. Salman survived a close run-out check at the bowler’s end. Taijul continued as Salman Ali Agha reached his fifty in 74 balls. This was his 12th fifty in Test cricket. Mehidy Hasan Miraz bowled another good over.
Taijul continued and bowled a good over. Miraz bowled another good over. Taijul bowled a maiden. Mominul Haque came into the attack next. He bowled a good first over. Taijul bowled another good over. The second new ball was available now. Shoriful Islam came back into the attack as the new ball was taken. Salman drove it crisply through the covers for a boundary. Taijul continued and bowled a high full toss, which Salman got forward and slapped it down past sweeper cover for a boundary.
Taijul provided the breakthrough for Bangladesh as he removed Salman for 71 off 102 balls with 6 fours and one six to his name by knocking the stumps over. Hasan Ali came out to bat next. Nahid Rana came back into the attack as Rizwan used the pace of the bowler and whipped it away to backward square leg for a boundary. The 300 came up for Pakistan in 82.1 overs. Taijul continued with the second new ball, and he got another one. He removed Hasan for a duck as the outside edge turned away and went to Shanto, who took a good catch.
Sajid Khan came out to bat next, and he was away with a guide to deep third man for a boundary. He followed that up with a slice past a diving backward point for a boundary. Nahid Rana continued and bowled a probing over. Taijul continued and bowled another good over. Pakistan reached 316/7 in 86 overs with 2 minutes left for the cut-off time when bad light ended the day’s play. Rizwan was unbeaten on 75 off 134 balls with 8 fours to his name, while Sajid Khan was with him, unbeaten on 8 off 9 balls with 2 fours to his name. 11 extras given by the fielding side so far.
It was a hard toil for the Bangladesh bowlers. Taijul Islam was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/113 in 31 overs. Nahid Rana chipped in with 2/58 in 14 overs. Mehidy Hasan Miraz chipped in with 1/62 in 20 overs. Taskin Ahmed ended the day with 0/41 in 9 overs. Shoriful Islam finished with 0/29 in 11 overs. Mominul Haque bowled an over for 2 runs. So, we go to Day 5 with Pakistan needing 121 runs more to win and Bangladesh 3 more wickets to win.
What Lies Ahead on Day 5
So, we go to Day 5 which is a rarity nowadays in Test cricket. Pakistan have shown character to stay alive and are 316/7 chasing 437 runs to win the match. The Men In Green needs 121 more runs to win while Bangladesh need 3 more wickets for a historic 2-0 triumph. Mohammad Rizwan stands between Bangladesh and history. He has the tail with him. Can Rizwan produce a miracle and pull off a world record chase? Hope the weather holds on for the first session and a bit.
Let’s see how the series’ final day pans out. Will it be 2-0 for Bangladesh? Or 1-1. Find out tomorrow live in Sylhet.
Also Read: BAN vs PAK: Mushfiqur Rahim’s Magical Ton Puts Bangladesh In Command On Day 3