Najmul Hossain Shanto carried his robust type from the white-ball sport into Checks. Photograph: AFP
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto struck an imposing century whereas Mominul Haque narrowly missed out on three figures because the hosts seized full management towards Pakistan on the opening day of the primary Take a look at of the ICC World Take a look at Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle on the Sher-e-Bangla Nationwide Cricket Stadium on Friday.
After Pakistan captain Shan Masood received the toss and elected to discipline first, Bangladesh ended a commanding day at 301-4 in 85 overs, successful all three classes by way of disciplined batting and calculated aggression.
Shanto led the cost with an excellent 101 off 130 deliveries, hammering 12 fours and two sixes for his ninth Take a look at century, whereas former captain
Mominul made a composed 91 from 200 balls. Veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim remained unbeaten on 48 at stumps, alongside Litton Das on eight.
Pakistan’s tempo assault made early inroads on a green-tinged Mirpur floor as left-arm quick bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi eliminated opener Mahmudul Hasan Pleasure for eight within the fourth over.
Quick bowler Hasan Ali then dismissed Shadman Islam for 13, leaving Bangladesh struggling at 31-2 inside 11 overs and briefly elevating Pakistan’s hopes of exploiting beneficial seam circumstances.
However Shanto and Mominul steadied the innings with a masterclass in persistence and shot choice, irritating Pakistan’s bowlers with a marathon 170-run stand for the third wicket.
The pair step by step wrestled momentum away from Pakistan as circumstances eased. Shanto accelerated confidently by way of the off aspect, significantly towards the seamers, whereas Mominul relied on deft late cuts and intelligent strike rotation to blunt the assault.
Bangladesh crossed the 100-run mark earlier than lunch and continued their dominance within the afternoon session, with Pakistan unable to generate sustained motion or stress.
Shanto introduced up his century in fashion with a boundary by way of cowl, however Pakistan lastly broke the huge partnership instantly afterward when skilled pacer Mohammad Abbas trapped the Bangladesh skipper lbw.
The breakthrough, nevertheless, did little to halt Bangladesh’s momentum as Mushfiqur joined Mominul so as to add one other essential 75 runs.
Spinner Noman Ali finally denied Mominul a deserved century when the left-hander was trapped lbw for 91 after a gritty six-hour keep on the crease.
Pakistan’s bowlers endured a irritating day general, scuffling with rhythm and self-discipline whereas conceding 31 extras, together with eight no-balls and 16 byes.
Shaheen, Abbas, Hasan and Noman claimed one wicket apiece, however Bangladesh’s disciplined batting ensured the hosts completed firmly in command heading into day two of the Bangladesh vs Pakistan first Take a look at.
Milestone for Shaheen
Pakistan’s premier left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi reached a landmark achievement in Take a look at cricket on Friday, turning into the primary Pakistani bowler to finish 100 wickets within the ICC World Take a look at Championship (WTC).
The milestone got here through the ongoing first Take a look at towards Bangladesh on the Sher-e-Bangla Nationwide Cricket Stadium, the place Afridi struck early by dismissing opener Mahmudul Hasan Pleasure on the opening day.
With this breakthrough, Afridi additionally joined an elite listing of bowlers in WTC historical past, turning into solely the nineteenth general to achieve the 100-wicket mark within the competitors since its inception.
Amongst Pakistan’s main wicket-takers within the WTC, Afridi now stands on the high with 100 wickets, adopted by Noman Ali (89), Sajid Khan (63), Naseem Shah (60), Abrar Ahmed (46), Yasir Shah (41), Hasan Ali (35), and Mohammad Abbas (34).
On the time of this writing, Bangladesh had reached 244-3 in 63 overs after recovering strongly from an early collapse. The hosts had earlier been lowered to 31-2 earlier than rebuilding by way of an important partnership.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto had earlier performed a commanding knock of 101 off 130 balls, whereas Mominul Haque remained unbeaten on 80, holding the innings collectively after early setbacks.
