Sports Desk, dbarta24.com – Mominul Haque threw away a solid start on the final delivery of the day as Bangladesh finished Day 2 of the second Test with a commanding 156-run lead over Pakistan.
At stumps, Bangladesh reached 110 for 3 in their second innings, following a dramatic batting collapse by the visitors earlier in the day.
Mominul Breaks Concentration at the Death
After a well-fought half-century from opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque steadied the ship for the hosts. However, just when Bangladesh looked set to end the day with only two wickets down, Mominul (30) lost his concentration on the very last ball of the evening session.
Pacer Khurram Shahzad induced a faint edge, which went straight into the gloves of wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, ending a crucial partnership. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto remained unbeaten on 13 at the other end.
Joy’s Attacking Fifty Sets the Tone
Following the early dismissal of debutant Tanzid Hasan Tamim for just 4 runs, Mahmudul Hasan Joy engineered a spectacular counter-attack. Joy put together a vital 76-run partnership for the second wicket alongside Mominul. Showing great intent, Joy smashed his sixth career Test half-century off just 58 deliveries.
His entertaining knock of 52 off 64 balls, laced with 10 boundaries, was cut short when he tried to clear the ropes off Mohammad Abbas but was caught instead.
Pakistan Bundled Out for 232
Earlier, Bangladesh’s bowling unit put on a clinic across the first two sessions, bundling Pakistan out for 232 in their first innings to secure a valuable 46-run lead. Resuming their overnight score, Pakistan collapsed rapidly in the face of relentless pressure.
A late 38-run blitz off 28 balls by tail-ender Sajid Khan—which included three massive sixes in an over off Taijul Islam—managed to reduce the deficit before Nahid Rana wrapped up the innings.
Nahid Rana and Taijul Islam were the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, claiming three wickets each. Speedster Taskin Ahmed and spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz also played pivotal roles, taking two scalps apiece.
Taskin and Miraz Dominate Opening Session
The morning belonged completely to the Bangladesh bowlers. Taskin Ahmed deals double blows early on, removing openers Abdullah Fazal (9) and Ajan Awais (13) in quick succession.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood (21) and Saud Shakeel (8) tried to form small partnerships with Babar Azam, but Mehidy Hasan Miraz broke both stands, dismissing Masood and having Shakeel caught behind by Litton Das.
Rana and Taijul Clean Up the Middle Order
In the post-lunch session, Babar Azam scored a fluent 68 off 84 balls to temporarily anchor Pakistan’s innings. However, Nahid Rana got the crucial breakthrough by forcing an loose shot from Babar.
Once Babar fell, Taijul Islam took complete control of the session, claiming the wickets of Salman Ali Agha (21), Mohammad Rizwan (13), and Hasan Ali (18) to trigger a swift end to the Pakistani innings.
Match Summary (At Stumps, Day 2):
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Bangladesh (1st Innings): 278/10 in 77 overs (Litton 126, Shanto 29, Tanzid 26; Hamza 3/55)
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Pakistan (1st Innings): 232/10 in 57.4 overs (Babar 68, Sajid 38, Shan 21; Rana 3/63, Taijul 3/52)
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Bangladesh (2nd Innings): 110/3 in 26.4 overs (Joy 52, Mominul 30, Shanto 13*; Shahzad 2/28)
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Bangladesh lead by 156 runs.