DHAKA: Bangladesh tightened their grip on the opening Test against Pakistan after finishing day four with a lead of 179 runs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Monday.
The hosts recovered strongly from early setbacks in their second innings to build a sizeable advantage, with experienced batter Mominul Haque and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto once again leading the resistance against Pakistan’s bowling attack.
Bangladesh had resumed the day at 7 without loss and lost both openers in the opening session, but Pakistan were unable to maintain pressure as the middle order rebuilt the innings with patience and authority.
Mohammad Abbas struck first for the visitors by trapping Mahmudul Hasan Joy lbw for five after the opener struggled against the movement on offer. Hasan Ali then removed Shadman Islam for 10 after the batter edged a catch to Saud Shakeel, briefly lifting Pakistan’s hopes of restricting the hosts to a manageable target.
Instead, Mominul and Shanto steadied the innings superbly, rotating the strike effectively and capitalising on loose deliveries to frustrate the tourists through long periods of play.
The pair added another vital partnership after their first-innings heroics, carrying Bangladesh into a commanding position by the close of play. Mominul once again looked assured at the crease with his disciplined shot selection and calm approach, while Shanto continued his impressive outing as captain with another fluent knock.
Bangladesh had earlier posted 413 in their first innings after recovering from early trouble through major contributions from Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim.
After slipping to 31-2, Mominul and Shanto transformed the innings with a brilliant 170-run partnership that shifted momentum firmly towards the hosts.
Mominul narrowly missed out on a century after scoring 91 from 200 deliveries, striking 10 fours before spinner Noman Ali dismissed him. Captain Shanto produced a commanding innings of 101 from 130 balls that included 12 fours and two sixes before Mohammad Abbas claimed his wicket.
Veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim added 71 off 179 deliveries with eight boundaries, while Litton Das chipped in with 33 and Taskin Ahmed accelerated the scoring late in the innings with a rapid 28 from only 19 balls.
Mohammad Abbas led Pakistan’s bowling effort with outstanding figures of 5-92 in 34 overs. Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed three wickets, while Hasan Ali and Noman Ali took one each.
Pakistan responded with 386 in their first innings, falling 27 runs short despite impressive performances from several batters, including debutants Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal.
Openers Imam-ul-Haq and Azan Awais provided the visitors with a confident start, adding more than 100 runs for the first wicket and putting Bangladesh’s bowlers under sustained pressure.
Azan Awais impressed on debut with an attacking 103 from 105 balls that featured 14 boundaries before Taskin Ahmed ended his innings. Imam-ul-Haq contributed 45 from 72 deliveries with six fours before Mehidy Hasan Miraz made the breakthrough.
Abdullah Fazal continued the strong showing from Pakistan’s younger batters by scoring 60 from 120 balls, including seven fours and a six.
Senior batter Salman Ali Agha and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan also played important innings to keep Pakistan in the contest. Salman scored 58 from 94 deliveries with six fours and a six, while Rizwan made 59 off 79 balls, striking eight boundaries.
Despite those contributions, Pakistan could not erase Bangladesh’s first-innings advantage as Mehidy Hasan Miraz produced a match-defining spell of 5-102 in 38 overs.
Taskin Ahmed and Taijul Islam picked up two wickets each, while Nahid Rana added one dismissal as Bangladesh entered the final day with a growing advantage and Pakistan facing a difficult challenge to stay alive in the Test.
