Shakib, Nafees lead Bangladesh’s fightback

DHAKA: Shakib Al Hasan cracked a career-best 108 not out and Shahriar Nafees hit a solid 97 to lead Bangladesh’s recovery on the opening day of the second and final Test against Pakistan in Dhaka on Saturday.

Bangladesh were struggling at 43-4 following paceman Aizaz Cheema’s three-wicket burst in the morning before reaching 234-5 in their first innings at stumps, thanks to Shakib and Nafees.

The left-handed pair applied themselves remarkably well to deny Pakistan any success for 51 overs as they added 180 runs, Bangladesh’s highest stand for the fifth wicket in Tests.

Nafees looked set to complete his second Test century before falling in the last session, caught behind off his gloves off paceman Umar Gul after hitting 12 fours in his 177-ball knock.

Former captain Shakib moved from 89 to 100 in one over off Gul and completed his second Test hundred when he cut the paceman for a single. His previous best was 100 against New Zealand in Hamilton last year.

Shakib has so far hit 14 fours, including three in an over off Cheema, in his 168-ball knock.

Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim was unbeaten on five when bad light stopped play.

Nafees, who swept and pulled off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez for two fours in an over, reached his seventh Test half-century when he fluently drove Gul through the covers for a boundary.

Bangladesh were in deep trouble in the morning as Cheema grabbed three wickets in a sharp eight-over opening spell after the tourists won the toss and elected to field.

Cheema dismissed opener Mohammed Nazimuddin and Mohammad Mahmudullah for no score, and Nasir Hossain for seven runs while Gul removed Tamim Iqbal for 14 in helpful conditions after a delayed start due to fog.

Nazimuddin, who scored 31 and 78 on his debut in the last Test in Chittagong, failed to open his account this time as he was trapped leg-before by Cheema in the second over of the day.

Tamim hit two successive fours off Gul before falling to the same bowler, caught hooking at fine-leg by Cheema, while Mahmudullah was bowled by a delivery that cut in sharply.

Pakistan retained the side that won the opening Test by an innings and 184 runs, while Bangladesh brought in pacemen Robiul Islam and Nazmul Hossain in place of Mohammad Ashraful and Rubel Hossain.

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Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final to be played under lights

KARACHI: Pakistan will again hold the final of its premier first-class tournament under floodlights this month as part of the International Cricket Council’s efforts to introduce day and night test matches.

A senior PCB official told Reuters the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final would be played from Dec. 20-24 at the national stadium with pink balls being used in the match.

“The decision to make the Quaid Trophy final a day and night affair has been taken because the ICC is keen to see its member countries experiment with using the pink ball and have day and night matches,” Saqib Irfan said.

The PCB also held the previous final of its premier tournament under the lights earlier this year.

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Rehman bowls Pakistan to innings win

CHITTAGONG: Abdur Rehman grabbed four wickets as Pakistan thrashed Bangladesh by an innings and 184 runs on the penultimate day of the opening Test in Chittagong on Monday.

The left-arm spinner finished with 4-88 as Bangladesh, trailing by 459 runs, were bowled out for 275 in their second innings after lunch to suffer their 62nd defeat in 72 Tests.

Rehman, off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and paceman Aizaz Cheema shared five wickets that fell on a fourth-day track offering help to spinners after Bangladesh had resumed at 134-4.

Fast bowler Rubel Hossain did not bat due a shoulder injury, suffered while fielding on Sunday.

Debutant Mohammed Nazimuddin (78), Shakib Al Hasan (51) and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (49) were the main run-getters for Bangladesh.

Cheema ended the innings when he had Shahadat Hossain (21) caught by Umar Gul in the covers in his first over with the second new ball.

Rehman dismissed well-set Nazimuddin and former captain Shakib in the morning session before accounting for Rahim to finish the match with seven wickets after having taken three in the first innings.

Ajmal was the other wicket-taker in the morning when he bowled Mohammad Mahmudullah for no score.

Nazimuddin was involved in two stands, adding 78 runs for the fifth wicket with Shakib and 47 for the next with Rahim before being caught by Ajmal at mid-off.

Opener Nazimuddin, 41 overnight, hit two sixes and nine fours in his 186-ball knock.

Nazimuddin, who was the second-highest scorer in the first innings with 31, defied the Pakistani attack for more than an hour and completed his half-century when he turned Rehman to deep mid-wicket for three runs.

He then played a couple of big shots, lofting Rehman over extra cover and then Ajmal over mid-wicket for sixes. He gave two chances off Ajmal after completing his half-century but wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal missed both.

Bangladesh had added only 24 runs to their overnight total when Shakib was trapped leg-before by Rehman after hitting eight fours in his ninth Test half-century.

Pakistan had on Sunday posted a mammoth 594-5 declared in their first innings in reply to Bangladesh’s 135, with Younis Khan (200 not out), Mohammad Hafeez (143) and Asad Shafiq (104) being the main scorers.

The second and final Test starts in Dhaka on Saturday.

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