Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas delivered a masterclass performance on Saturday to swing the first Test match in his team’s favour against Bangladesh. The experienced bowler claimed five wickets and helped restrict the home side to a total of 413 runs.
Two young debutants then stepped up brilliantly with the bat. Opener Azan Awais remained unbeaten on 85 while fellow newcomer Abdullah Fazal reached 37 not out. Together they guided Pakistan to 179 for 1 at stumps on the second day in Dhaka. Although the visitors still trail by 234 runs, they now hold a strong position heading into the third day.
Veteran Bowler Shines on Turning Pitch
Abbas showed why he remains a vital asset for Pakistan. He picked up three wickets in the morning session after Bangladesh resumed at 301 for 4. The 36-year-old added two more scalps after lunch and finished with impressive figures of 5-92 from 34 overs. This marked his sixth five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
Bangladesh started the day positively, but Abbas dismantled their innings with disciplined and accurate bowling. Litton Das fell for 33, Mehidy Hasan Miraz departed for 10, and Taijul Islam edged a bouncer for 17. Shaheen Shah Afridi later bowled Mushfiqur Rahim, who scored a gritty 71, and claimed the final wicket of Taskin Ahmed. Afridi ended with 3-113.
Debutants Impress as Pakistan Builds Solid Reply
Pakistan reacted well during their batting innings. Imam-ul-Haq and Azan Awais contributed with a strong opening partnership of 106 runs, but then they were separated when Mehidy Hasan Miraz bowled out Imam for 45 runs. Both debutants handled the pressure very professionally to give Pakistan a decent start.
Imam congratulated Abbas on his superb bowling performance and talked about the calmness exhibited by the debutants. Coach Mohammad Salahuddin was disappointed with the dropped catches at slip and conceded that he lost more runs for his side which could have been 50 to 60 extra.
Abbas’s brilliant bowling performance is surely appreciated by all Pakistani cricket fans. As the game progresses, it looks like we have an exciting game ahead of us.
