Bangladesh took control of the first day of the Dhaka Test thanks to a century from Nazmul Hossain Shanto, a responsible innings from Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim’s determination in the late afternoon.
The hosts scored 301 runs for the loss of 4 wickets at the end of the day’s play at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to field first. Initially, the decision seemed to be effective. The hosts were put under some pressure when Bangladesh’s two openers returned quickly.
Mahmudul Hasan Joy was dismissed for 8 off 19 balls and Shadman Islam for 13 off 30 balls. However, captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque soon took control of the match.
The two put on a brilliant partnership of 170 runs for the third wicket. Shanto played a captain’s innings. He hit 12 fours and 2 sixes before being dismissed for 101 runs off 133 balls. He kept the Pakistani bowlers under pressure with his aggressive yet controlled batting.
On the other hand, Mominul was the epitome of patience. He built up a long innings from the crease and laid the foundation for the team to score big. However, the left-handed batsman had to stop when he was very close to his century. Although he returned with 91 runs off 200 balls, his innings showed maturity and responsibility.
After Mominul’s departure, the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim took over the innings. He ended the day by handling the challenge of the new ball with skill in the late afternoon. Mushfiqur is unbeaten on 48 runs off 104 balls. Liton Das is also unbeaten with him, who scored 8 runs off 35 balls.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali and Noman Ali took one wicket each for Pakistan.
Bangladesh have laid the foundation for a big haul with their performance on the first day. If Mushfiqur and Liton continue their partnership on the second day, the Tigers will have a chance to take complete control of the match.