RAWALPINDI – Team Bangladesh is in command in first Test against Pakistan at Pindi Cricket Stadium. On the fourth day of the first Test in Rawalpindi, Mushfiqur Rahim played a standout innings of 191, offering Bangladesh a chance for a historic victory over hosts.
Rahim’s innings were crucial in propelling Bangladesh to a first-innings total of 565, their highest against Pakistan, and giving them a lead of 117 runs.
By the end of the day, Shan Masood led squad was 23-1, trailing by 94 runs after declaring their first innings at 448-6. Abdullah Shafique was unbeaten on 12, and captain Shan Masood was on nine. With Bangladesh having a poor record against Pakistan, they will look to their spinners to make an impact on a Rawalpindi pitch that has so far been unresponsive.
Pakistan vs Bangladesh Test
Pakistan’s second innings began with a setback as Youngblood Saim Ayub was dismissed for just one run by Shoriful Islam. Mushfiqur Rahim, meanwhile, formed a significant partnership with Liton Das (56), adding 114 runs for the sixth wicket, and then set a record 194-run stand with Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who scored 77.
Bangladesh’s previous highest score against Pakistan was 555-6 at Khulna in 2015. Rahim’s innings, which lasted eight hours and 42 minutes and included 22 boundaries and a six, set a new record for the highest individual score by a Bangladeshi in Pakistan, surpassing Javed Omar’s 119 from 2003.
Despite a missed chance when Babar Azam dropped him at 150, and a review overturning a leg-before decision, Rahim reached his 11th Test century. His partnership with Mehidy was the highest ever against Pakistan, breaking the previous record of 186 by New Zealand’s Lees and Hadlee in 1976.
Mehidy added 37 more runs before being dismissed by Shaheen Shah Afridi, who also claimed Hasan Mahmud for a duck. Naseem Shah concluded Bangladesh’s innings by dismissing Shoriful Islam for 22, ending with the best figures for Pakistan at 3-93.
Shah remarked that the pitch did not provide the expected assistance for pace bowlers, highlighting the need for adaptation. The second and final Test will also be played in Rawalpindi, starting August 30.
