Day 3: Afghanistan manage 237 for eight at the close

The umpires have called stumps after the game was stopped due to bad light at 83.4 overs. Afghanistan managed to score 237 for eight, stretching their lead to a mammoth 374 runs with two wickets remaining. Much like Day Two, the third day of the Chattogram Test was also dominated by Afghanistan. They started by bundling out Bangladesh for 205 early on the day. After the exchange, Shakib Al Hasan took two back-to-back wickets in the very first over of Afghanistan's second innings. Afghanistan were in a spot of bother when Nayeem Hasan removed Hashmatullah Shahidi in the 15th over, leaving the score on three for 28. After that, Ibrahim Zadran and Asghar Afghan strung together a magnificent 108-run fourth-wicket stand to help their team recover from the early slump. Although, Afghan and Ibrahim were dismissed on 50 and 87 respectively, Rashid Khan's quick-fire 22-ball 24 alongside Afsar Zazai's unbeaten 83-ball 34 helped Afghanistan finish the day on a high. And as the day's play ended prematurely today, the play will begin 20 minutes early tomorrow.

4:41pm: The lights at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium have gone off due to a sudden power failure. The umpires stop the play immediately. 

Shakib removes Qais, Afghanistan eight down

[Wicket] 82.5- Afg 235/8: Qais Ahmad lbw b Shakib Al Hasan 14 (26b 2x4 0x6) SR: 53.84

An arm ball from Shakib Al Hasan that holds its line and beats Qais Ahmad. It hits him on the pads.A huge appeal from Bangladesh and umpire gives it out. However, Afghanistan goes for a review where it showed that there was no bat involved and the ball would have gone to hit the leg stump bails. Umpire stays with the original decision. Afghanistan lose their eighth and their review.

The new ball is available and Shakib Al Hasan takes it immediately. He will be bowling the 81st over of the game.

Afghanistan's lead goes past 350

75.6- Afg 218/7: Qais Ahmad takes another double in the last delivery of the over. This takes Afghanistan's lead to 355 with three wickets remaining. 

75.5- Afg 216/7: A horrible delivery from Taijul Islam and Qais Ahmad pounces on it. He smashes the outside-off half tracker for what it deserves -- a boundary. With that, Afghanistan's lead goes past 350.  

Taijul removes Rashid after a quick-fire 24

[Wicket] 73.3- Afg 210/7: Rashid Khan b Taijul Islam 24 (22b 6x4 0x6) SR: 109.09

An overpitched ball on the off-side from Taijul Islam. Rashid Khan, who comes down the track, misses it completely and the ball rattles his stumps. The Afghanistan skipper goes after a quick-fire 22-ball 24.

70.5- Afg 201/6: Rashid Khan comes down the track and smashes one over the mid-off fielder for a boundary. That brings up 200 for Afghanistan. And that's the fourth boundary in the over by Rashid.

Two wickets in quick succession for the Tigers

[Wicket] 67.2- Afg 180/6: Mohammad Nabi c Mominul Haque b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 8 (13b 0x4 1x6) SR: 61.53

Mohammad Nabi goes for a sweep off a Mehedi Hasan Miraz delivery. The ball does not get the elevation and the fielder at square leg takes an easy catch. That's the end of Nabi's Test batting career. The all-rounder had announced earler that he will be retiring from the format after the Chattogram Test.

Nayeem removes Ibrahim for 87

[Wicket] 64.2- Afg 171/5: Ibrahim Zadran c Mominul Haque b Nayeem Hasan 87 (208b 6x4 4x6) SR: 41.82

Ibrahim Zadran goes down the track and tries to smash a Nayeem Hasan delivery over the fielder at long-on. However, he ends up giving an easy catch to Mominul Haque. Ibrahim missed out on his maiden ton. And not only that, had he scored a hundred, the 17-year old would have become the fourth youngest player to get a Test ton. 

Afghanistan's lead stretches past 300

61.1- Afg 163/4: Ibrahim Zadran punches a length ball from Mehedi Hasan Miraz to mid-on to take a single. The lead now for Afghanistan is 300. 

3:00 pm: Play resumes after tea with Nayeem Hasan bowling the first over in the final session of the day.

Afghanistan in commanding position as they go for tea

Only one wicket fell in the session. Asghar Afghan and Ibrahim Zadran strung together a 108-run fourth-wicket stand before the former was dismissed off a Taijul Islam delivery. Nevertheless, it has been a very good session for the visitors as they lead by 293 runs with six wickets remaining before tea. 

59.6- Afg 156/4: Ibrahim Zadran stretches out and defends a Mominul Haque delivery. That's the last ball before tea. Afghanistan in a commanding position as their lead nears 300. 

58.1- Afg 151/4: Ibrahim Zadran pushes a Nayeem Hasan delivery towards point to take a double. 150 comes up for Afghanistan. 

Taijul removes Afghan to give Tigers a crucial breakthrough

[Wicket] 50.6- Afg 136/4: Asghar Afghan c Shakib Al Hasan b Taijul Islam 50 (108b 4x4 2x6) SR: 46.29

Asghar Afghan tries to flick a Taijul Islam delivery off his pads but it takes an edge of his bat and then hit his pad and went up in the air. Shakib takes an easy catch. Finally, the 108-run fourth-wicket patnership between Afghan and Ibrahim Zadran has been broken. A vital breakthrough for the Tigers.

50.1- Afg 135/3: Ibrahim Zadran lunges forward to defend a Taijul Islam delivery. The ball was on the leg stump line and Ibrahim can nt control the shot. It goes towards short leg but Shadman Islam standing at short leg reacts late. Ibrahim dropped on 65. 

47.3- Afg 134/3: Asghar Afghan drives one towards deep extra cover off a Mominul Haque delivery to take a single. With that Afghan brings up his fifty off 100 deliveries. Back to back fifties for Afghan.

Afghanistan on top as Ibrahim, Asghar star in hundred-run stand

44.6- Afg 133/3: Ibrahim Zadran comes down the track and plays an inside-out shot over extra cover for a hue six. That brings up the hundred-run stand between Ibrahim and Asghar Afghan. They strung together an unbeaten 105-run fourth-wicket stand off 182 deliveries. 

Hundred comes up for Afghanistan as Ibrahim strikes fifty

38.2- Afg 100/3: Ibrahim Zadran goes down the track and plays a tossed up delivery from Nayeem Hasan towards long-on for a single. Hundred comes up for Afghanistan.

36.5- Afg 99/3: Ibrahim Zadran plays one off his hips to the leg-side and takes a double off a Nayeem Hasan delivery. That brings up his fifty off 117 balls.

Afghan, Ibrahim star in fifty-run stand

31.3- Afg 82/3: Ibrahim Zadran goes deep into his crease to pull yet another short delivery from Shakib Al Hasan over mid-wicket for a huge six. That brings up the fifty-run partnership between Asghar Afghan and Ibrahim.

Play resumes after lunch

12:40 pm- Play resumes after lunch with Nayeem Hasan bowling the first over of the session.

Afghanistan manage 56 for three at lunch

Five wickets fell in the first session of Day Three. Bangladesh, who started the day with 194 for eight on the board, could only manage 205 all out in 70.5 overs as Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi took a wicket each. After the exchange, Shakib Al Hasan removed Ihsanullah and Rahmat Shah in the very first over and was on hat-trick. Nayeem Hasan then took the last wicket of the session when he dismissed Hashmatullah Shahidi in the 15th over. Ibrahim Zadran, who is on 24 off 85 looks very settled in the middle while Asghar Afghan, who scored 16 off 30 balls, has occasionally charged the bowlers. Afghanistan go to lunch with a 193-run lead and seven wickets in hand.  

25.6- Afg 56/3: Ibrahim Zadran negotiates safely a Taijul Islam delivery that landed on middle and leg. No runs. And the umpire calls for lunch.

23.4- Afg 51/3: Asghar Afghan fetches one from the off stump off a Taijul Islam delivery. It rolls on towards the mid-wicket fielder. Two runs for Afghanistan and with that comes up their fifty.

[Wicket] 14.4- Afg 28/3: Hashmatullah Shahidi c Soumya Sarkar b Nayeem Hasan 12 (37b 2x4 0x6) SR: 32.43

A perfect offspinner from Nayeem Hasan that landed on the middle stump, compelling Hashmatullah Shahidi to play a shot. It induces an edge of the batsman's bat and goes to first slip. A sharp catch by Soumya Sarkar standing in the first slip.  

11.3- Afg 20/2: Ibrahim Zadran goes forward to defend a Taijul Islam delivery and his bat gets stuck on his front pad. There's an appeal for LBW from Bangladesh players. Shakib goes for the review and it shows that the ball had hit the bat before hitting Ibrahim's pads. The umpire stays with his initial decision which is not out.

2.6- Afg 5/2: Shakib Al Hasan gets Ibrahim Zadran to take a stride and induces an edge. It goes straight to silly point but Mominul Haque can not hold on to it. Ibrahim dropped on 0. A difficult chance indeed.

Shakib strikes twice in the first over

[Wicket] 0.4- Afg 4/2: Rahmat Shah c & b Shakib Al Hasan 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

An overpitched delivery from Shakib Al Hasan and Rahmat Shah comes down the track to hit it. But the ball goes straight to Shakib after hitting the bat and Shakib takes a good catch off his ball. It's two in two for Shakib. He is on a hat-trick.

[Wicket] 0.3- Afg 4/1: Ihsanullah lbw b Shakib Al Hasan 4 (3b 1x4 0x6) SR: 133.33

A length ball from Shakib Al Hasan that held its line and hits Ihsanullah on his pads. The umpire gives him out and the batsman does not go for review. Afghanistan lose their first wicket early. 

10:26 pm- Bangaldesh are out in the field. Shakib Al Hasan to start the proceedings.

 Bangladesh all out for 205 in the first innings

[Wicket] 70.5- Ban 205: Nayeem Hasan lbw b Rashid Khan 7 (12b 1x4 0x6) SR: 58.33

Another googly from Rashid Khan and Nayeem Hasan could not even play a shot as the ball hits his pad. A huge appeal from Afghanistan and the umpire gives it out. However, Nayeem goes for the review, where it showed that the ball was hitting his pads and would have gone to clip the leg stumps. The umpire stays with the initial decision and Nayeem has to go. That's the fifth wicket for Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan. Bangladesh are all out for 205. Afghanistan lead by 137 runs.

68.5- Ban 201/9: Nayeem Hasan tries to punch straight a googly from Rashid Khan but gets an under edge. The ball goes for a boundary through fine-leg and the two hundred comes up for Bangladesh. 

[Wicket] 67.3- Ban 194/9: Taijul Islam b Mohammad Nabi 14 (58b 2x4 0x6) SR: 24.13

Taijul Islam goes for a big heave and misses it completely. An outside off delivery from Mohammad  Nabi that held its line and went on to rattle Taijul's stumps.

Can Tigers fight Back?

9:57 pm- The umpires and the players make their way out to the field. Mohammad Nabi to start the proceedings today.

It was all Afghanistan on the Day Two of the ongoing one-off Test between the visitors and Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram yesterday. Afghanistan had restricted Bangladesh to 194 for eight in 67 overs after posting a total of 342 for 10 -- their highest total in Test history. Bangladesh, who trail by 148 runs with two wickets remaining in the innings, seemed like would get bundled out and would not have been able to see the day through after they had lost Mehedi Hasan Miraz in the 52nd over with the score on 146 for eight. However, an unbeaten 48-run ninth-wicket stand between Taijul Islam and Mosaddek Hossain helped the Tigers negotiate the rest of the overs yesterday. The two overnight batsmen -- Taijul (14 off 55) and Mosaddek (44 off 74) will resume today and it remains to be seen if they can survive and help the Tigers fight back.