Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Mirza, center, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi during the fifth day of the first cricket test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi
| Photo Credit: AP
Bangladesh eyes a historic win as Pakistan collapsed to 108-6 on the fifth and final day of the first test.
Pakistan was in tatters against a disciplined Bangladesh bowling attack, coupled with some poor shot selection in the first session on Sunday (August 25, 2024).
At lunch, Pakistan still trails by nine runs after conceding 117-run first innings lead.
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Mohammad Rizwan was the last recognized batsman at the crease unbeaten on 22, which included three successive boundaries off Nahid Rana, while Shaheen Shah Afridi was not out on 1 after he survived a lbw referral against Shakib Al Hasan just before the break.
Bangladesh has lost 12 of its last 13 test matches against Pakistan, with the only other test match at Sylhet in Bangladesh ending in a draw in 2015.
Resuming Sunday at 23-1 and 94 runs in deficit, Pakistan lost captain Shan Masood (14) in the second over of the day when fast bowler Hasan Mahmud found a faint edge and had the Pakistan skipper caught behind.
Masood argued with onfield umpire Richard Kettleborough for the second time in the test match after he was also caught behind in a controversial manner in the first innings, but the television replays clearly suggested the left-hander had got a little tickle to the ball after Bangladesh went for a successful television referral.
Hasan should have had Babar Azam out for a pair of ducks in the game, but wicketkeeper Litton Das spilled a simple catch off the first ball Babar faced. Babar tried to break the shackles and hit three boundaries before he dragged tall fast bowler Rana (1-30) when on 22.
Pakistan’s middle-order batters were guilty of throwing their wickets away against the two spinners – Shakib and Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
First innings century-maker Saud Shakeel needlessly tried to play an extravagant shot against Shakib and got stumped for zero for the first time in his short test career.
Abdullah Shafique also ran out of patience and went for an over ambitious shot against Shakib (2-24) and top edged a catch to point before off-spinner Mehidy (1-5) found the outside edge of Salman Ali Agha’s bat in his second over as Bangladesh further pushed for victory.
