Day 5, 2nd Test, Lunch: Tigers 63 runs away from historic series win in Pakistan
Bangladesh lost their openers in a testing first session on Day 5 but made steady progress nevertheless, as they closed in on the target of 185 and a historic clean sweep, going into Lunch at 122/2.
After a 58-run opening stand, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque were involved in an unbroken 52-run partnership as 80 runs came in the session off 27 overs.
Shadman Islam’s confident punch for a boundary off Mohammad Ali, off the second ball, got Bangladesh going on Day 5, having started the day at 42/0. Meanwhile, the Pakistan pacers were also bowling good lines and had the openers on their toes. There were some play-and-misses and also a bottom edge off Zakir Hasan’s bat in Mohammad Ali’s over which wasn’t picked by the home team as they failed to appeal. The openers extended their partnership past fifty, raising Bangladesh’s first fifty-plus opening stand since December 2022.
Zakir’s first four of the day came off an edge as he was squared up by Mir Hamza and the ball clipped the shoulder of the bat and went between slip and gully. But his outing was cut short by Hamza who got one to hold the line, beat the outside edge and have him bowled for 40. Pakistan’s disciplined bowling meant run-scoring wasn’t easy for the Bangladesh batters. After three successive maidens, Shadman put away a full delivery on the pads from Hamza for a four. He also got a lucky break in Hamza’s next over as Salman Agha put down a tough chance diving to his left from second slip. In the same over, Shadman put away a short ball past cover for another four.
Shadman’s outing came to an end when he tried to drive a Khurram Shahzad delivery but offered a catch to mid off. An edgy boundary from Mominul Haque and a couple of well-timed fours by Najmul Hossain Shanto got Bangladesh’s target below 100. After a slow start, Najmul and Mominul grew in confidence and the older ball helped too as they collected boundaries. Najmul even gave the charge to Hamza and got away with three runs after a miscued shot. The third wicket pair extended their stand past 50 and remained unbeaten at the lunch break, with their team on the verge of a famous win.
