Summary:
- Pakistan ends the first day at 158 for 4 after a shaky start.
- Saim Ayub and Saud Shakeel hit half-centuries to stabilize the innings.
- Bangladesh took early wickets but struggled with their attack later in the day.
In the opening Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan finished the first day at 158 for 4. Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bowl, making the most of the favorable conditions to take out three early wickets. Despite this, Pakistan’s Saim Ayub and Saud Shakeel managed to recover the innings with crucial half-centuries.
Ayub, in just his second Test, and Shakeel, who was promoted to vice-captain, formed a 98-run partnership that brought Pakistan back from a precarious position of 16 for 3. Ayub scored his maiden half-century, while Shakeel, reaching 1000 Test runs in his 20th innings, matched a record set by Saeed Ahmed in 1959. Both players employed an aggressive approach, disrupting Bangladesh’s seamers and countering their strategies.
Bangladesh’s initial success came from their pace bowlers, Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud, who exploited the swinging conditions. Mahmud dismissed Abdullah Shafique with a well-placed delivery, and Shoriful removed Pakistan’s captain Shan Masood after a contentious review decision. However, Bangladesh’s spinners, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan, struggled against the aggressive batting of Ayub and Shakeel, contributing to their substantial total.
The day’s play saw Bangladesh’s bowlers battling against Pakistan’s resilient middle order, with Ayub and Shakeel steering their team to a more stable position. The day’s play ended with an unbeaten 44-run stand between Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan. Bangladesh’s attack, featuring three seamers and two spin-bowling allrounders, faced challenges as the pitch favored pace early on and later offered little assistance to the spinners.
As the Test progresses, both teams will be keenly watching how the pitch conditions evolve and how their strategies adapt to ensure a strong performance in the series.
