Najmul Hossain Shanto's hundred lifted Bangladesh into a strong position early in the first Test against Pakistan. Not far behind, Mominul Haque held firm beside him, their calm build-up forming a 170-run stand for the third wicket.
Through much of the afternoon, Pakistan’s attack looked lost, unable to break through despite constant effort. Long shadows stretched across the pitch as the duo batted on, untroubled by pressure.
Through most of the session, Bangladesh stayed steady, growing its lead without visible strain. With the new ball losing its edge, Pakistan's fast bowlers found less help from the pitch. Instead of tightening control, the spinners let scoring come too easily. Two focused batsmen at the crease made sure chances were rare. Pressure never truly took hold.
Abbas provides late relief after Bangladesh dominates the session
Bangladesh sped up after opening slowly with two quiet overs. Shanto led the charge without hesitation, marching toward Noman Ali and cracking crisp drives past cover, then sailing one cleanly over mid-off. Suddenly, the scoreboard began to climb.
Midway through, the Bangladesh captain got to his ninth hundred with flair, driving wide of cover for four, then erupting in emotion. That high faded fast when Mohammad Abbas struck with the following ball, pinning him plumb in front. The umpire had said not out at first, worried about the bounce level.
At one end, Shanto took charge with bold shots while Mominul stayed steady beside him. Instead of rushing, the left-handed batter slipped in delicate late cuts each time Pakistan’s fast men attacked. By shifting gears calmly and keeping runs ticking between wickets, he helped ease pressure without flash. Slowly but surely, their approach wore down the touring side.
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Back then, early on, Shan Masood, Pakistan’s skipper, called heads at the toss, chose to field first after spotting the grassy look of the pitch. Right away, that move looked smart because Bangladesh soon found themselves struggling at 31 for 2, rattled by sharp fast bowling from Pakistan’s side.
A ball pitched just outside off took care of Mahmudul Hasan Joy early, thanks to Shaheen Afridi’s sharp line. Then came Hasan Ali, who grabbed another scalp when the pitch helped his seam shift slightly.
Later on, things looked shaky for Bangladesh. Still, Shanto, along with Mominul, began to settle the game down. At the start, runs trickled in quietly. Yet they handled the tough spells well enough. Then, when the pitch softened up a bit, their timing sharpened without rushing it.
A thick edge off Mominul’s bat nearly stuck in the air but vanished through the gap where Salman Agha stood beside Abdullah Fazal on debut, both hands empty. The batter stayed put, calm again at the crease. Pakistan left watching grass grow instead of celebrating. Moments like these widen into full sessions when luck blinks first.
Faster runs came for Bangladesh as time moved on. Though he started strong, Shaheen’s pace dipped after long overs up front. Instead of holding back, Shanto pushed forward, cracking big shots wide of the point.
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A twist in the game came through steady teamwork, building pressure until Bangladesh stood strong at tea. Though Abbas struck late, offering Pakistan a brief hope before the interval.
