CHITTAGONG: Pakistani openers — Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique — smashed an unbeaten fifty on Monday to put the Men In Green in a commanding position in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong.
Pakistan reached 109-0 in their second innings at stumps on the fourth day chasing a target of 202 on Monday. Both openers completed their fifty as the visitors came within 93 runs of victory after bowling out the hosts for 157 earlier in the day.
Abid, who made 133 in the first innings, is unbeaten on 56 while Shafique became the fifth Pakistan player to score two fifties on Test debut. He was unbeaten on 53 off 93 balls with six fours and a six.
The pair put on 146 for the opening stand in the first innings too. It was only the second time Pakistan openers added 100 runs in both innings of a Test.
Earlier, Shaheen Afridi claimed a fifer by giving away only 32 runs while Liton Das made a battling half-century to help Bangladesh set a decent target.
Resuming the day on 39-4, the home side lost Mushfiqur Rahim in the first over to Hasan Ali. First innings’ centurion Liton Das put up a fight and scored 59 off 89 balls.
Das joined overnight batsman Yasir Ali to prevent further collapse. Bangladesh had a decent partnership but Shaheen’s low bounce hit the helmet of Yasir, who retired hurt after making 36.
Meanwhile, off-spinner Sajid Khan trapped Mehidy Hasan leg-before for 11. Yasir’s concussion substitute Nurul Hasan didn’t survive enough and was caught-behind appeal just before lunch.
Shaheen trapped Liton leg-before and then had Abu Jayed out for a duck to complete his fourth five-wicket Test haul, before off-spinner Sajid Khan, who finished with 3-33, wrapped things up by dispatching Taijul Islam. Bangladesh have failed to defeat Pakistan in any of their 10 previous encounters.
