Bangladesh 338 and 114 for 5 trail Pakistan 470 (Taufeeq 130, Misbah 70, Azhar 57, Akmal 53, Shakib 6-82) by 18 runs
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Shakib Al Hasan became the first Bangladesh player to score a hundred
and take a five-for in the same Test, but that wasn't enough to stop
Pakistan from taking charge of the second Test in Mirpur. Shakib's
importance to the outcome of the match was highlighted by Pakistan's
jubilant reaction to his dismissal late in the day - in the exuberance
of the celebration, Younis Khan was pushed over by one of his
team-mates.
Pakistan's batsmen made unrelenting progress in the first half of the
day - Adnan Akmal reached his maiden Test half-century and Misbah-ul-Haq
completed his seventh Test fifty of the year to stretch the
first-innings lead to a healthy 132. In contrast, the Bangladesh
batting's perennial struggle to put up strong performances in both
innings of a Test continued, and they slid to 114 for 5 by close.
It was a typical beginning to the innings. Tamim Iqbal started as though
it was a Twenty20, cracking five boundaries in his 21 before falling in
the final over before tea. It was a dodgy decision as he was ruled out
after the ball ricocheted off his helmet to slip. He stood around making
his displeasure clear, and pointing to the helmet to indicate where the
ball hit him, actions which are likely to earn him a meeting with the
match referee.
To make it worse, off the next ball, Umar Gul removed Shahriar Nafees
lbw for a golden duck to spark thoughts of a familiar top order
collapse. Like the light in Mirpur, Bangladesh's chances also began to
fade early.
Gul got the new ball to jag around, and though he couldn't complete the
hat-trick after tea, he thoroughly examined the batsmen's technique
outside off. Aizaz Cheema wasn't as incisive early on, but returned to
take two big wickets - Mahmudullah and Shakib. Both dismissals were due
to a long-standing problem with the Bangladesh batting - poor shot
selection. Mahmudullah looked to flatbat a delivery that was well
outside off, top edging it to deep point and Shakib steered a catch to
backward point.
One of the other reasons for the home side's troubles at the Test level
is the lack of quality medium-pacers, and they were unimpressive again
on the fourth morning. That prompted Mushfiqur Rahim to give marathon
spells to the left-arm spin pair of Elias Sunny and Shakib. Sunny bowled
through the entire morning session, while Shakib had sent down a
23-over spell by the time Pakistan's innings ended.
Comfortably placed at 292 for 3 overnight, Pakistan were expected to be
more adventurous on the fourth morning to set up a declaration, but the
dismissal of Younis in the second over of the day led to a more measured
approach. Sunny struck in his first over, getting the ball to jump and
turn, and Younis nicked it to the wicketkeeper as he looked to defend.
Neither Misbah nor Asad Shafiq are known for an aggressive brand of
batting, and there was plenty of caution in their partnership early on.
Only three runs were scored in the first seven overs of the day, before
Misbah broke free with a couple of boundaries in a Nazmul Hossain over.
Shafiq also got going with consecutive fours off Shahadat Hossain, but
once Sunny and Shakib started to bowl in tandem, the run flow subsided
again.
Misbah, to his credit, attempted to push the tempo with an array of
sweeps - delicate paddles from outside off, reverse-sweeps and powerful
conventional ones to try and throw the spinners' off their line and
length. The partnership swelled past 50, before Shakib finally had
reward for his tight bowling - Misbah falling to the sweep, top-edging
to slip.
The Bangladesh fielding was again below par: Robiul Islam shelled a
simple chance at mid-on, Mahmudullah dropped another at slip and there
was another let down at midwicket by Sunny.
Bangladesh's spirits were lifted when Shafiq was given a tight lbw
appeal, but Abdur Rehman and Akmal played a series of strokes to take
the lead close to 100. Rehman then fell to a catch at slip, and the rest
of the tail was mopped up by Shakib.
As if a century to rescue the team from 43 for 4, and then scooping up
six wickets wasn't enough, Shakib was expected to prop Bangladesh up
with the bat in the second innings as well. He wasn't able to, leaving
Bangladesh needing something of a miracle to save the Test on a track
where Pakistan's potent spin attack was getting plenty of help.
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