Openers Imam-ul-Haq and Azan Awais made a solid start to help Pakistan reach 50 for no loss at tea on Day 2 of the first cricket Test against Bangladesh at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Imam was batting on 28 with Azan, who made his debut in this match at 18, during the second interval of the day, as Pakistan were trailing by 363 runs. Bangladesh was bowled out for 413 in its first innings, less than an hour after the lunch session on Day 2.
Pakistan pacer Mohammad Abbas was the wrecker-in-chief with 5-92 as Bangladesh were able to add just 112 runs after resuming at 301-4.
Abbas’s disciplined bowling stalled the progress of Bangladesh, who looked to extend its domination over the game after hurling the baton on Day 1.
Abbas relied on an old-school Test match approach, bowling relentlessly outside the off stump to induce mistakes.
While the strategy prevented Bangladesh from accelerating, it also brought Pakistan the breakthroughs they desperately needed.
Mushfiqur, who began the day at 48, nudged Shaheen Shah Afridi for a single in the third over of the morning, bringing up his 29th Test fifty from 114 balls.
The milestone marked his 42nd 50-plus score in Tests, the most by a Bangladesh batter, surpassing Tamim Iqbal’s tally of 41.
He and Liton Das looked to take Bangladesh in a stranglehold before Abbas produced a beauty to dismiss the latter for 33, ending the 62-run third wicket stand.
Abbas followed Liton’s wicket by sending back Mehidy Hasan Miraz (10) and Taijul Islam (17) in quick succession, leaving Mushfiqur to dig deep.
Shaheen Shah Afridi rattled Mushfiqur's stumps just three balls after the lunch session, dismissing him for 71. The veteran’s patient knock included eight boundaries.
Abbas then removed Ebadot Hossain for a duck with a bouncer to complete his sixth five-wicket haul in the Test format.
Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana took Bangladesh past 400 with luck and pluck as Shaheen and Abbas threw a barrage of bouncers in a bid to break the last wicket partnership as quickly as possible.
However, Shaheen outperformed Taskin, who scored 28 runs off 19 balls to finish Bangladesh's innings.
Shaheen ended with 3-113 to complement Abbas’s five-wicket haul.
Earlier on Day 1, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto struck a sublime century, a 130 ball-101, and Mominul Haque made 91 to put Bangladesh in command.
