RAWALPINDI: Bangladesh on Sunday put up a valiant fight after losing back-to-back wickets on the third day of the second Test as the hosts look to restrict the visitors in the match which is being played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Bangladesh continued their innings from 10-0, however, Khurram Shahzad got rid of openers Shadman Islam (10), Zakir Hasan (1), skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (4) and Shakib Al Hasan (2) to give the national side a much-needed boost in their effort to level the series.
With Momuinul Haque (1) and Mushfiqur Rahim (3) losing their wicket to Mir Hamza, Bangladesh were left with 26-6.
However, Litton Das (83*) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (78) showed resilience and successfully avoided follow-on pushing the score to 191-6 courtesy of their 165-run stand.
Miraz, however, fell to Shahzad who then also dismissed Taskin Ahmed (1) leaving the scoreboard at 193-8 at Tea.
A day earlier, spinner Miraz (5-61) and pacer Taskin (3-57) led the Bangladeshi bowling line’s attack against Shan Masood’s men who were bowled out at 274 on the second day after the opening day was lost to incessant rain and a wet outfield.
Taskin, drafted into the Bangladesh side after fellow pace bowler Shoriful Islam sustained a groin injury, bowled Abdullah Shafique with a swinging delivery in the first over of the day after the tourists won the toss and opted to field.
Pakistan recovered from that early setback and got to 99-1 at lunch, with Masood completing his 10th half-century, but the skipper did not last long when play resumed and was dismissed lbw by Miraz for 57.
With the 107-run stand for the second wicket ended, the Bangladesh bowlers grew in confidence as the day wore on and could have had more wickets but for some sloppy catching.
Ayub was stumped for 58 and was soon followed by the dismissal of Babar Azam (31) and Mohammad Rizwan (29).
Meanwhile, Salman Ali Agha perished after scoring 54.
Playing XIs
Pakistan XI: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Abrar Ahmed, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Khurram Shahzad.
Bangladesh: Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mominul Islam, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wk), Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana.
