Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam narrowly missed a century by seven runs but played a crucial role in leading Bangladesh to a strong score of 316/5 at the close of play on the third day of the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Friday, August 23. The star left-handed batter scored a patient 183-ball 93, keeping alive Bangladesh's hopes of drawing the match or securing a historic first-ever victory over Pakistan in their 14th Test encounter.
Shadman, Mominul, Mushfiqur, Litton lead Bangladesh's fightback
Shadman wasn't the lone batter which launched Bangladesh's fightback in the match, as Mominul Haque (50 off 76), Mushfiqur Rahim (55 not out off 122) and Litton Das (52 not out off 58) too chipped in with half-centurion knocks to stabalize the visitor's boat. However, Bangladesh are still trailing by 132 runs and will need to continue their show to go past Pakistan's first innings total of 448/6 after declaration.
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Earlier in the day, Naseem Shah dismissed Zakir Hasan and Khurram Shahzad, leaving Bangladesh struggling at the top order. Veteran Mominul Haque and Shadman Islam formed a crucial partnership, adding 94 runs for the second wicket. However, Khurram was dismissed after reaching his fifty, while Shadman continued to perform well. Mushfiqur Rahim joined Shadman, and the duo added a 52-run partnership before Shadman was dismissed by Mohammad Ali, falling just seven runs short of his century. Shakib Al Hasan also failed to make a significant contribution, departing to part-timer Saim Ayub after scoring 15.
Mushfiqur reached his fifty at a steady pace, while wicketkeeper-batsman Litton Das joined the crease with an aggressive approach, racing to his fifty in just 53 deliveries at a strike rate of 94.34. Litton's 18-run over against Naseem Shah significantly shifted the momentum of Bangladesh's innings. The Litton and Mushfiqur duo formed an unbroken 98-run partnership, taking Bangladesh to 316/5 at stumps. Bangladesh still trails Pakistan by 132 runs but has a strong batting lineup capable of closing the gap or even surpassing Pakistan's total of 448. Litton and Mushfiqur, unbeaten on 52* and 55* respectively, will be key for Bangladesh's success on the following day.
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