Veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim stood up and scored a classical ton to help Bangladesh into a commanding position at the end of Day 3. Mushfiqur Rahim joined Najmul Hossain Shanto first up at the crease and then showed his experience in getting to yet another Test ton. He was ably supported by Litton Das, who made 69 after making a ton in the first innings. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul and Shoriful Islam made some useful contributions as Bangladesh finished with 390 in 102.2 overs.
Pakistan bowlers toiled hard throughout the day. Khurram Shahzad was the pick of the bowlers with 4 wickets, while Sajid Khan chipped in with 3 wickets. Hasan Ali got 2 wickets as well. Bangladesh set Pakistan a huge target of 437 for the win. Pakistan came to bat and faced two overs of maidens from Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam before play was called off 12 minutes earlier than the cut-off time due to bad light. Pakistan have a mountain to climb in the last two days of the match and series.
Najmul Hossain Shanto falls, Mushfiqur Rahim & Litton Das drive Bangladesh forward in the morning session
Najmul Hossain Shanto was joined by veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim, while Khurram Shahzad started the proceedings for Pakistan. Shahzad completed his over. Mohammad Abbas bowled from the other end. He bowled a decent over. Shahzad continued and kept things tight. Rahim survived a close run-out scare at the bowler’s end by grounding the bat on time. Shahzad got the breakthrough for Pakistan as he removed Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto for 15 off 46 balls with one four to his name as he was pinged in front. Shanto reviewed and burnt it for Bangladesh.
Litton Das came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Abbas continued and bowled a decent over. Shahzad overstepped. Abbas kept things under check. Litton broke the shackles as he punched the ball past cover point for a boundary. Abbas bowled a good over. Hasan Ali came into the attack for the first time today. Das punished him with a pull through deep midwicket for a boundary.
Abbas bowled another good over. Hasan continued as Rahim drove it between covers and mid-off for a boundary. Bangladesh were 150/4 in 39 overs when drinks were taken on the field. Sajid Khan came into the attack after the break. He bowled a good over. Hasan continued as Bangladesh’s lead reached 200. Sajid bowled another good over. Hasan bowled a maiden. Sajid bowled a decent over. The 50-run stand came up between Rahim and Litton. Sajid bowled another good over.
Khurram came back into the attack. He overstepped again. Litton pulled the ball through fine leg for a boundary. There was a mix-up between the two batters, but no damage was done in the end. Sajid bowled another good over. Shahzad continued as Rahim pulled it to deep backward square leg for a boundary. Sajid continued and bowled a good over. Salman Ali Agha came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over.
Sajid continued as Rahim took him on with a slog sweep over deep midwicket for the maximum. The first maximum of the innings. Saud Shakeel came into the attack next. The 200 came up for Bangladesh in 52.3 overs, and the lead was 246 now. Bangladesh reached 203/4 with Litton unbeaten on 48 off 66 balls and Rahim unbeaten on 39 off 80 balls after 53 overs. The lead stood at 249 as the players walked off the field for Lunch on Day 3.
Mushfiqur Rahim drives home the advantage for Bangladesh in the second session
Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das resumed proceedings for Bangladesh after lunch, while Khurram Shahzad had the ball in hand for Pakistan yet again. Litton reached his fifty with a crisp drive through covers, as he got to his fifty in 67 balls. Sajid Khan came to bowl from the other end. He bowled a decent over. Mohammad Abbas came back into the attack. Abbas kept things under check. Sajid continued as the 100-run stand came up between Rahim and Das. Sajid dropped the tough catch off his own bowling as Litton got a lifeline.
Abbas bowled another good over. Sajid continued as Litton leant on the ball and chipped it over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Rahim then deliberately opened the bat face late and got it to the right of the gully fielder for a boundary. Sajid continued as Rahim got to his fifty off 103 balls with a brace. Hasan returned to the attack and broke the partnership as he removed Litton for 69 off 92 balls with 5 fours to his name as the ramp shot hit the cue end of the bat down to the deep third man fielder.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Sajid bowled a maiden. Hasan kept it tight. Sajid continued and kept it tight. Hasan bowled another good over. Sajid continued and bowled well as Bangladesh were 247/5 after 67 overs when we paused for Drinks in the afternoon session.
Hasan continued after the break as the 250 came up for Bangladesh in 67.3 overs. Sajid bowled another decent over. Hasan continued as Mehidy played the upper cut to the third man region for a boundary. Saud Shakeel returned to the attack next. He overstepped. Mehidy got a triple away to the third man region. Khurram Shahzad returned and started with a no-ball. But he bounced back by knocking Miraz over for 19 off 39 balls with one four to his name. Taijul Islam came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Sajid continued as Rahim hammered the ball down the ground for a boundary at long-on. Shahzad continued and bowled another no-ball. Sajid continued and bowled a good over. Rahim hit Shahzad as he hit it to deep third man for a boundary and got to 16000 runs in international cricket. Rahim shuffled across and pulled it to deep midwicket for a boundary. Sajid bowled another good over.
Hasan Ali continued as Rahim hung back and cut it fiercely past the point fielder for a boundary as the 300 came up for Bangladesh in 78 overs. Khurram Shahzad continued as Taijul pulled the ball to deep fine leg for a boundary, and he overstepped again. Bangladesh reached 307/6 in 79 overs with Rahim unbeaten on 90 off 155 balls while Taijul Islam was unbeaten on 8 off 20 balls. Players left the field for the Tea Break.
Mushfiqur Rahim completes his 14th Test ton while Sajid Khan’s 3-wicket haul keeps Bangladesh down to 390 in the final session
Mushfiqur Rahim and Taijul Islam resumed proceedings for Bangladesh while Sajid Khan started the proceedings for Pakistan after Tea. Sajid bowled another good over. Mohammad Abbas came to bowl from the other end with the second new ball due now. Pakistan wasted a DRS on Rahim as the ball was too high and missed the stumps. Sajid continued as Rahim skipped down the track and lofted it over the bowler’s head for a boundary.
The second new ball was now taken by Pakistan. Abbas bowled a good over as well. Rahim moved to 99* as Khurram bowled another quiet over. Abbas continued as Rahim cut the ball away past backward point for a boundary as he got to his 14th Test ton in 178 balls, a classical innings from Rahim. Shahzad continued as Taijul took him on with a drive through covers for a boundary. Abbas continued and bowled a probing over.
Hasan Ali returned to the attack. He kept things tight. Abbas bowled another good over. Hasan also troubled the batters. Abbas bowled another quiet over. Hasan continued as Rahim broke the shackles with a defence by soft hands through the gap between second and third slip and away for a boundary. Sajid continued and got Pakistan the breakthrough as he removed Taijul for 22 off 51 balls with 2 fours to his name as he looked to go over long-off and mistimed it to Abbas. Taskin Ahmed came out to bat next.
Taskin got off the mark with a boundary with a punch through covers. The 350 came up for Bangladesh in 92.2 overs. Hasan continued as Bangladesh got their lead to 400 runs. Rahim then opened the bat face and got it through the gully region for a boundary. Sajid continued as Rahim survived a run-out scare at the bowler’s end. Bangladesh reached 363/7 in 95 overs as they paused for the Drinks Break.
Hasan Ali continued after the break, and he removed Taskin for 6 off 13 balls with one four to his name as the batter tried to go over mid-off and got an outside edge where Salman took the catch. Shoriful Islam came out to bat next. Sajid continued and bowled another good over. Hasan continued and bowled a good over. Shoriful swung it away to deep backward point for a crucial boundary. Hasan bowled another good over. Sajid continued as Shoriful smashed the bowler over the bowler’s head for a boundary.
Sajid got his revenge as he dismissed Shoriful for 12 off 15 balls with 2 fours to his name as the batter hit this ball straight down the throat of long-off. Nahid Rana came out to bat next. Khurram Shahzad came back into the attack next. Rahim improvised by shuffling across and scooping the ball over fine leg for a boundary. Shahzad followed it up with another no-ball. It followed a few balls again later.
Sajid continued and got the last wicket to fall as he dismissed Rahim for 137 off 233 balls with 12 fours and one six to his name as the batter tried to slog the ball over deep midwicket and mistimed the ball, as the ball went to the deep midwicket fielder. Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 390 in 102.2 overs with Rana remaining unbeaten on 0 off 5 balls. 24 extras given by the Pakistan team, which included 11 no-balls.
It was a hard task for the Pakistan bowlers. Khurram Shahzad was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/86 in 20 overs. Sajid Khan chipped in with 3/126 in 33.2 overs. Hasan Ali finished with figures of 2/83 in 23 overs. Mohammad Abbas finished with 1/66 in 23 overs. Salman Ali Agha finished with an over for 5 runs. Saud Shakeel finished with 0/13 in 2 overs. This meant that Pakistan were set a target of 437 runs to win the contest.
So, Pakistan came to start the 4th innings of the Test match. Abdullah Fazal and Azan Awais came out to open the batting for Pakistan while Taskin Ahmed had the ball in hand for Bangladesh. He started with a maiden. Shoriful Islam bowled the second over and shared the new ball. He too bowled a maiden. The light deteriorated, and the bad light forced an early closure to Day 3 with 12 minutes left. So, Pakistan needs 437 runs to win, and Bangladesh needs 10 wickets with two days left in the Test match.
What Lies Ahead on Day 4
Bangladesh are in total control of the proceedings. Pakistan will have to chase this down and create a world record chase. The pitch is bound to deteriorate. Bangladesh hold all the aces, but we won’t count Pakistan out yet. Two days to go. Pakistan will look to take the game deep. Bangladesh will want to wrap things up tomorrow itself. Let’s see how things unfold tomorrow.
Spin will play a role alongside pace. All to play in Sylhet on Day 4.
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