RAWALPINDI: Spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz continued to mesmerise Pakistan on their home turf as the off-spinner produced an impressive five-wicket show to help Bangladesh dismiss the hosts for a moderate 274 on the second day of the second and final Test here at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

The 26-year-old spinner, who triggered a stunning last-day collapse of Pakistan with 4-21 in the first Test which the visitors won by 10 wickets, claimed five for 61 for his 10th five-wicket haul in the five-day format after Bangladesh opted to bowl first at the toss.

Mehidy was ably assisted by fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who claimed three wickets for 57 on a greenish wicket which has a bit more life than the one used for the series opener.

It was a good day for the tourists, who are seeking to win only their third away Test series.

After dismissing the hosts, Bangladesh ended the day at 10 for no loss with Shadman Islam (six not out) and Zakir Hasan (yet to score) at the crease. Shadman was dropped by Saud Shakeel off fast bowler Mir Hamza on the first ball of the innings.

Though young opener Saim Ayub (58), captain Shan Masood (57) and late-order batter Salman Ali Agha (54) crafted useful half-centuries, none of them could convert their knock into big scores.

Right-arm paceman Taskin, who replaced an unfit Shoriful Islam as Bangladesh’s only change, bowled opener Abdullah Shafique for nought off the sixth ball of the match.

Left-handers Shan and Saim then steered Pakistan to a solid 99-1 at lunch.

They added 107 for the second wicket before the skipper was trapped in front while trying to play by a good-length delivery by Mehidy through the on-side in the post-lunch session. Shan took a review which showed the ball was hitting the stumps. Shan faced 69 balls and struck a couple of fours.

Playing his 45th Test, Mehidy then sent Saim back to the pavilion as the batter was well-deceived by a flighted delivery that turned away giving wicket-keeper Litton Das a regulation stumping. The batter consumed 110 balls and hit four fours and two sixes.

As Saim departed, Pakistan were 132-3 but started losing wickets at regular intervals with only Salman managing to post a decent score.

Saud, another southpaw, who cracked 141 in the first Test played at the same venue, made a paltry 16 before Taskin cramped him outside the off-stump as the batter played it on to the stumps. Saud had earlier survived a dropped catch by Mehidy off fast bowler Nahid Rana on one

Pakistan suffered a major blow when Babar Azam was lbw to left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan for a 76-ball 31 as the batter failed to connect a ball on middle-leg stump that kept low, and the hosts descended to 179-5. Babar’s string of low scores in this series are a concern for Pakistan who face a must-win situation in this Test. The 29-year-old Babar has failed to make a single half-century in his past 15 Test innings.

Batting at number five, Moha­mmad Rizwan, who amassed 171 not out and 51 in the series opener, could not flourish this time around and was caught in the slips off Nahid, just playing his third Test.

Salman, dropped on nought by Zakir Hasan off Shakib Al Hasan, was Taskin’s third wicket after scoring 54 with three boundaries and two sixes.

Mehidy dismissed tail-enders Khurram Shahzad (12), Mohammad Ali and Abrar Ahmed to end the innings.

After the match, Taskin said he was happy to be back in the longer format of the game.

“It’s a good sporting pitch and we need to bat the full day and get a good lead,” Taskin said. “It’s great to be back in red ball [cricket] after one-and-a-half years. I enjoyed that and adapted well.”

Meanwhile, Salman said the pitch was better than the first Test track and could help the spinners.

“Unlike the first Test, this wicket has lively grass and I believe we have enough runs,” he said.

The first day’s play on Friday was washed out.

Pakistan made two changes for this Test, resting frontline pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah to bring in pace bowler Hamza and mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed.

SCOREBOARD

PAKISTAN (1st Innings):

Abdullah Shafique b Taskin 0

Saim Ayub st Litton b Mehidy 58

Shan Masood lbw Mehidy 57

Babar Azam lbw Shakib 31

Saud Shakeel b Taskin 16

Mohammad Rizwan c Najmul b Nahid 29

Salman Ali Agha c Shakib b Taskin 54

Khurram Shahzad c Shakib b Mehidy 12

Mohammad Ali c Shadman b Mehidy 2

Abrar Ahmed st Litton b Mehidy 9

Mir Hamza not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-1, W-1) 6

TOTAL (all out, 85.1 overs) 274

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Abdullah), 2-107 (Shan), 3-122 (Saim), 4-151 (Saud), 5-179 (Babar), 6-211 (Rizwan), 7-236 (Khurram), 8-246 (Ali), 9-274 (Salman)

BOWLING: Taskin 17-2-57-3; Hasan 14-1-60-0 (1nb); Nahid 15-1-58-1 (1w); Mehidy 22.1-2-61-5; Shakib 17-3-34-1

BANGLADESH (1st Innings):

Shadman Islam not out 6

Zakir Hasan not out 0

EXTRAS (B-4) 4

TOTAL (for no wicket, Two overs) 10

STILL TO BAT: Najmul Hossain (captain), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana

BOWLING: Hamza 1-0-5-0; Khurram 1-0-1-0

UMPIRES: Richard Kettleborough, Michael Gough (both England)

TV UMPIRE: Asif Yaqoob (Pakistan)

MATCH REFEREE: Ranjan Madugalle

(Sri Lanka)

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2024