- Green Shirts continue their innings at 256-4 after lunch.
- Rizwan, Shakeel dig in to ensure team’s comeback on second day.
- Visitors’ Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud bag 2 wickets each.
Pakistan on Thursday regained control after Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan dug deep to build on yesterday’s comeback with both batters scoring centuries on the second day of the first Test against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Coming on the field today, the duo continued the team’s innings from 158-4 after Wednesday’s setback wherein the national side lost back-to-back wickets but managed to make a comeback courtesy of Shakeel and Saim Ayub’s 98-run partnership.
Playing sensibly, the duo kept scoring runs while making sure to not lose their wickets as they continued on after lunch with the score at 256-4.
A day earlier, Shakeel and Ayub played gritty innings before the latter was dismissed in the 32nd over. The batter reached his first Test 50 in his third innings, scoring 56 off 98 balls which included four fours and a six.
Shakeel carried on with Rizwan and took Pakistan to a respectable position at the end of the day. Rizwan remained unbeaten on 24 at stumps.
For Bangladesh, Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud picked two wickets each.
With the score at 304-4 in 82 overs Shakeel (109*) and Rizwan also inching closer to scoring a century (116*), the Green Shirts will be aiming to capitalise on the duo’s partnership.
Squads
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed (not in first Test), Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam (not in first Test), Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mahmudullah, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan. Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed and Khaled Ahmed.