Daily Times

RAWALPINDI: Bowlers dominated the day one of the first Test as Pakistan bowled out Bangladesh for a paltry 233 at the Pindi Stadium here on Friday. Shaheen Shah Afridi recorded figures of 4-53 in 21.5 overs and was ably assisted by fellow pacer Mohammad Abbas (2-19) and spinner Haris Sohail (2-11) to justify Pakistan’s decision to send Bangladesh, who lost all five Test matches in 2019, in to bat on a greenish-yellow pitch. Pakistan were due to bat for five overs but bad light forced umpires to call it a day. Bangladesh were unable to recover from the early shocks of losing debutant Saif Hassan and Tamim Iqbal. The top scorer from Bangladesh was Mohammad Mithun. He was caught behind by Mohammad Rizwan on a delivery by 16-year-old Naseem Shah. Abu Jayed, who got run out by a throw by Mohammad Abbas, was the last man to go. Bangladesh could have been bowled out for inside 200 had it not been for a defiant display of batting from Mithun who top-scored with 63 including seven fours and a six in his 193-minute stand.

Bangladesh were reeling against pace at 161-6 when Mithun added an invaluable 53 run stand for the seventh wicket with Taijul Islam who made a resolute 24. It was Haris Sohail who had Islam caught by Yasir Shah before Pakistan wiped off the tail with the second new ball as 16-year-old Naseem ended Mithun’s resistance. Sohail had dropped Mithun off a luckless Yasir at wide second slip when the batsman was on 22 but compensated for the lapse with two wickets. Yasir failed to get a wicket in 22 overs, conceding 83 runs. Earlier, the extended two-and-a-half hour first session due to Friday prayers truly belonged to Pakistan as they kept Bangladesh down to 95-3 by lunch. Pakistan opted for the same team that won the second Test against Sri Lanka in Karachi in December last year, playing with three fast bowlers and a lone spinner in Yasir. Bangladesh handed a Test debut to 21-year-old opener Saif and also included three pacers as well as a spinner in Islam.

Bangladesh were originally scheduled to play three Twenty20 Internationals and two Test matches, but agreed to split the tour into three phases because it did not want to stay in Pakistan for a longer duration due to security concerns. After this Test, the side will return to Pakistan in April for a one-off one-day international (April 3) and the second and final Test (April 5-9) at the National Stadium in Karachi. Pakistan won the T20I series 2-0 last month at Lahore, with the third game abandoned because of rain.