Pakistan Recovers After Early Wickets

Stumps: Pakistan 158 for 4 (Shakeel 57, Ayub 56, Shoriful 2-30, Mahmud 2-33) vs Bangladesh

Bangladesh made the most of favourable conditions after winning a crucial toss, removing three early Pakistan wickets with the new ball. However, half-centuries from Saud Shakeel and Saim Ayub helped Pakistan end a rain-affected first day on a more balanced note.

The fourth-wicket pair of Shakeel and Ayub stitched together a vital 98-run partnership, rescuing Pakistan from a precarious 16 for 3. By the time bad light forced an early end to play, Pakistan had steadied at 158 for 4, with Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan batting. Ayub, playing in just his second Test, overcame a challenging start against the new ball to notch his maiden Test half-century. Shakeel, recently promoted to vice-captain, continued his impressive rise by becoming Pakistan's joint-fastest to 1,000 Test runs, matching Saeed Ahmed’s 1959 record by reaching the milestone in his 20th innings.

Both Ayub and Shakeel adopted a proactive approach to counter Bangladesh’s seam attack, frequently stepping out of their crease to disrupt the bowlers’ rhythm and minimise movement. Bangladesh finally broke the partnership when Hasan Mahmud induced Ayub into a drive at a delivery angled across him, resulting in a catch after the ball wasn’t quite full enough for the shot. This was Mahmud's second wicket, similar in nature to his first, where consistent good lengths tempted the batter into a risky shot.

Following Ayub's dismissal, Shakeel and Rizwan managed to navigate the final session, adding an unbroken 44 runs for the fifth wicket. Their efforts highlighted a potential structural flaw in Bangladesh’s bowling attack, which, unlike Pakistan's four frontline seamers, comprised three seamers and two spin-bowling all-rounders.

Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz was brought into the attack in the 14th over, with two left-handers at the crease. However, he struggled as Ayub and Shakeel took the opportunity to counterattack, scoring 24 runs off his four overs by sweeping him effectively off a good length. Shakib Al Hasan, introduced as the second spinner in the 39th over, also faced similar aggression, with Rizwan sweeping him for consecutive boundaries in his first over. The two spinners collectively conceded 36 runs in just six overs.

Nahid Rana, the express pacer picked over the more experienced Khaled Ahmed, was also expensive. Used as an enforcer on a pitch that rewarded traditional line and length, Rana leaked 48 runs in his 10 overs. In contrast, Shoriful Islam and Mahmud enjoyed more success, particularly with the new ball, consistently hitting good lengths and exploiting the conditions to swing and seam the ball. Both bowlers regularly beat the bat early on, and Bangladesh didn't have to wait long for a breakthrough.

Mahmud claimed the first wicket with a wide outswinger that enticed Abdullah Shafique into a drive, resulting in an aerial slice that Zakir Hasan spectacularly caught at gully. Shoriful then tested Ayub and captain Shan Masood with deliveries in the fifth-stump channel, mostly swinging the ball away but occasionally getting it to nip back in. One such delivery dismissed Masood, although the decision was contentious. Masood's forward defence saw the ball touch either his bat or pad—or both—before being caught by Litton Das behind the stumps. Although initially not given out, Bangladesh successfully reviewed the decision, with Ultra-Edge showing a spike, though it remained unclear whether the ball had brushed the inside edge or just the pad.

Bangladesh's luck continued as Babar Azam, Pakistan’s skipper, fell for a duck, gloving an innocuous leg-side delivery from Shoriful to Litton Das, who completed the catch with an acrobatic dive.