Lunch Bangladesh 134 for 2 (Shadman 53*, Mominul 45*) route Pakistan 448 for 6 dec by 314 runs
Naseem was the pick of Pakistan’s bowlers, managing to control the line and length in Bangladesh’s left-handed top four as he bowled 15 in his first 12 overs. But he found out just how bad the conditions were for him, as Mominul hit him with four consecutive wickets in his penalty before lunch – a cheeky uppercut over the slips followed by a well-timed step back and dropped to flat-bat a. A slightly short length ball wide of middle – and Shadman pulled him to the square leg boundary to bring up his fifty on the last ball of the session.
Bangladesh had to fight hard to earn the right to play those shots. They started again on 27 unbeaten, conceding just 12 runs in 12 overs before the first drinks break, losing to Zakir Hasan along the way. Naseem and Shaheen Shah Afridi were relentless in their probing in the center and found enough movement to risk shots from the top, and Bangladesh’s top three resisted them for the most part with a combination of skill, judgment and luck.
Pakistan took the lead in the fifth over of the day, however, when Naseem’s angle cut through the batter, along with a bit of distance from the seam and more bounce, prompted Zakir to push the hard hands away from the body. Mohammad Rizwan – back as keeper after being sidelined with cramp overnight on day two – flew to his left to finish off the catch on the edge.
The runs flowed a little faster when the third and fourth seamers arrived, and Najmul Hossain Shanto drove Khurram Shahzad for four balls over mid-off and extra-cover as he rolled. But those were minor mistakes from Shahzad as he bowled the plan, bringing Shanto forward at full length as he bowled the ball to him from the wicket. After getting used to Shanto’s front foot drives and blocks at cover with a slightly open bat face, he pulled his length back a bit and found one to get it off the seam and bowled it squarely to the wicket.
Bangladesh were 53 for 2, and seven overs before the next drinks break brought Shadman and Mominul just 12 runs.
Through it all, Shadman batted calmly, except for a couple of awkward moments against the short ball when he was out on top to remove Mohammad Ali and Shahzad, the ball falling safely in front of the long-leg bowler both times.
Although Pakistan were pushing hard, however, the length of the session, with Friday’s revised timings, would remain a test for them on a 35-degree day in Rawalpindi. After going out of bounds in the first two hours of the day, Shadman found his redemption when Shaheen took a free in the 24th over, driving a half-volley to the cover boundary and hitting a full back toss. the thrower passed. He then went out to Salman Ali Agha in the next over and drilled him through the covers for another boundary in the 40s.
The momentum was beginning to shift, and boundaries from Naseem towards the end of the session cemented the idea. Pakistan will however know that they still have a cushion of 314 runs when play resumes after lunch.
Karthik Krishnaswamy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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