Pakistan noticed off a tough interval simply earlier than lunch to finish the primary day, curtailed by rain and dangerous mild, on high. Babar Azam and Azhar Ali steadied a ship that had been rocked by Taijul Islam earlier than lunch, batting by means of both aspect of a short rain delay to disclaim the hosts any additional wickets earlier than tea. The Pakistan captain introduced up a fluid half-century whereas Azhar’s innings was extra of a battling knock as he shuffled on to 36 in 112 balls. With the sunshine fading, no additional play was attainable, which means Pakistan had managed to stand up to 161 for the lack of simply the openers, and the possibility to place collectively an impregnable first innings rating.
The morning session was one among two halves as Pakistan made regular progress within the first hour, just for Bangladesh’s spinners to strike again within the second. On an overcast day in Dhaka, the place Pakistan opted to bat first, openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique eased to their third successive fifty partnership. This time, nevertheless, they may not convert it to 3 figures, because of probing spells from Taijul Islam and Shakib Al Hasan. Taijul was the person to take each wickets, knocking again the openers’ stumps as Pakistan, who had been going alongside at nearly 4 runs per over for a lot of the primary hour, scratched their method to 78 for two at lunch.
Pakistan had appeared untroubled towards the quick bowlers to begin off, with the overcast circumstances not accompanied by the sideways motion Bangladesh’s pacers may need hoped these climate circumstances introduced. Unlike in Chattogram, the place Abid and Shafique have been maybe responsible of being too passive when it comes to the scoring charge, the pair pushed forward extra forcefully, often placing away poor deliveries, refusing to let Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed settle.
It was unsurprising to see Taijul launched after simply ten overs, however even with spin working, Pakistan’s openers refused to be slowed down initially. Shafique pulled Taijul away over sq. leg off simply his fourth supply, whereas Abid clipped Shakib by means of the leg aspect subsequent over. The shot of the morning was when Shafique skipped down the bottom to gracefully deposit Taijul over long-off for a wonderful six to carry up the fifty partnership, however round that point, the momentum was subtly starting to shift.
The subsequent 25 balls noticed solely six runs scored, and off the twenty sixth, Bangladesh had their man. Taijul landed one on a size that lured Shafique into the ahead press to play for the spin, however the ball carried on with the arm and pierced by means of the hole and into the stumps. The first ball to Azhar Ali examined him equally, even when it did not get his wicket, and Bangladesh have been instantly prowling.
With the spinners stifling Pakistan and each run a battle, Abid noticed his defences breached, too. As with Shafique, he did not learn the arm ball, bringing his bat down on one a shade too late, to search out he had chopped it on.
The skies remained darkish and overcast after lunch, and the second session started with actual optimism for the house aspect. With Azhar Ali struggling to deal with the bounce and switch, and Babar in a comparatively detached patch of red-ball type by his requirements, Bangladesh can have sniffed an opportunity to show a instantly fragile center order.
It wasn’t to be, although. After Azhar and Babar steeled out one of the best a part of an hour, the rains arrived. The 25-minute break appeared to sap momentum from the house aspect, and Babar’s fluency was on full show thereafter. Khaled Ahmed had the possibility to carry on to a troublesome likelihood on the boundary when Babar took the aerial route, however that was spurned and the batter adopted up with a extra authoritative pull in direction of midwicket.
Azhar Ali swept Mehidy for a boundary subsequent over, and slightly clip to advantageous leg introduced Babar Azam his half-century thereafter. Bangladesh continued to probe, Shakib particularly flighting the ball in the hunt for grip, however Pakistan had begun to take over by now.But so had the clouds after tea. The umpires deemed it too darkish for play to proceed, which means no additional play was attainable. The subsequent 4 days can have early begins, although with rain anticipated to be an element over a lot of the weekend, how a lot play is feasible stays to be seen.
