The match commenced under challenging conditions, with the toss on the first day being delayed due to rain
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: In the second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh, Pakistan’s batting woes continued as the team was dismissed for 274 runs. The innings saw notable contributions from Saeem Ayub (58), Shan Masood (57), and Salman Ali Agha (54), but it was not enough to secure a strong position for the team.
The match commenced under challenging conditions, with the toss on the first day being delayed due to rain. On the second day, Bangladesh’s captain Najamul Hasan Shanto won the toss and elected to bowl first. Pakistan’s opening pair, Saeem Ayub and Abdullah Shafiq, faced a tough start, with Shafiq falling for a duck on the sixth ball of the first over, dismissed by fast bowler Tasin Ahmed.
Captain Shan Masood and Saeem Ayub managed to score half-centuries, but both were dismissed shortly after, contributing 57 and 58 runs respectively. Former captain Babar Azam struggled once again, getting out for 31 runs. Saud Shakeel and Muhammad Rizwan also fell short, scoring 16 and 29 runs respectively. Salman Ali Agha showed some resistance with his 54 runs, but the lower order couldn’t provide further support, with Khurram Shehzad (12), Muhammad Ali (2), and Abrar Ahmed (9) also getting out.
Bangladesh’s bowlers made significant inroads into Pakistan’s batting lineup. Mehdi Hussain took 5 wickets, Tasin Ahmed claimed 3, and Naheed Rana and Shakib Al Hasan each took one wicket. In terms of team changes, Pakistan made two adjustments for this Test: Shaheen Shah Afridi was replaced by Abrar Ahmed, and Naseem Shah was substituted by Mir Hamza. Bangladesh also made a change, including fast bowler Tasin Ahmed in place of Sharaf Islam.
This Test follows Bangladesh’s historic victory over Pakistan in the Rawalpindi Test on August 25, marking their first win in long-running cricket against Pakistan. For the Test starting August 29, the 12-player squad announced for Pakistan did not include Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah was also absent from the playing eleven.
#PakistanVsBangladesh, #TestCricket, #BattingCollapse, #SaeemAyub, #ShanMasood, #BabarAzam, #BangladeshVictory, #CricketUpdate, #MehdiHussain, #TasinAhmed, #PakBattingWoes, #CricketSquad, #RawalpindiTest
