Pakistan’s cricket team has started off strong in the first Test match against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, with Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel showcasing their batting prowess by scoring centuries. Rizwan’s unbeaten 171 and Shakeel’s 141 helped Pakistan to an impressive 448-6 declared before Bangladesh closed the second day on 27-0. The Rawalpindi pitch has not been as bowler-friendly as anticipated, with Bangladesh openers Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan negotiating the pace bowling without much trouble.
Bangladesh’s batting coach David Hemp expressed hope that his team’s batsmen can match the performance of the Pakistani players on the batting-friendly pitch. The Bangladesh team had initially put Pakistan on the backfoot on the first day but Shakeel’s partnership with Saim Ayub and then Rizwan allowed Pakistan to dominate the game. Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi further accelerated Pakistan’s innings, leading to a declaration after tea with a total of 448-6.
Shakeel commented on the pitch conditions, mentioning that while the ball was initially moving on the first day, Bangladesh’s bowlers could have been more effective if they had pitched the ball up. The second day saw Rizwan and Shakeel frustrate the Bangladeshi bowlers with their solid batting, adding 98 runs in the morning session. Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz finally broke the partnership by dismissing Shakeel with Litton Das behind the stumps, ending his impressive innings.
Pakistan’s bowlers will now have the opportunity to test the pitch as Bangladesh begins their batting innings in response to Pakistan’s commanding total. With Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam standing out as the top-performing bowlers for Bangladesh so far, it will be interesting to see how they fare against Pakistan’s batting line-up. The two-match series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is part of the World Test Championship, with both teams looking to secure valuable points in the standings.
The competition between the two teams promises to be intense as Bangladesh aims to narrow the gap between their total and Pakistan’s imposing score. While Pakistan is currently ranked sixth in the World Test Championship standings, Bangladesh is positioned eighth, making this series crucial in their quest for higher rankings. The performance of key players like Rizwan, Shakeel, and the bowlers from both teams will play a significant role in determining the outcome of the series and setting the stage for future matches between these two cricketing nations.
