Will look to set a big target: Qais

Afghanistan leg-spinner Qais Ahmed believes the visitors are already in a position to win the lone Test against Bangladesh after the second day at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.

The hosts find themselves in deep trouble, trailing by 148 runs with two first-innings wickets in hand after the Afghans had posted 342 in their first essay.  The Afghan spin trio of Qais, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi shared seven wickets among them to leave the hosts on 194 for eight at the end of the day.

Qais claimed his maiden Test wicket by removing Mehedi Hasan Miraz after captain Rashid had ripped through the Bangladesh top-and-middle order.

"We [Aghanistan] believe that we have the chance to win the match. Today [Friday] rain favoured Bangladeshi batsmen as the ball became wet and it was not easy to turn it away. Tomorrow we will have a new ball and that will work for us," Qais told media after the day's play.

Playing only their third Test match, Afghanistan are in driver's seat in Chattogram and Qais wants to wrap up the hosts quickly in the first innings before taking a substantial lead and build on that lead in their second innings. 

"This last partnership [between Mosaddek Hossain and Taijul Islam] helped Bangladesh really well and together they made about fifty runs [48 in fact] in the wicket. We will try to bowl them early tomorrow morning. We will then start our batting and then will give them a big target," hoped Qais. 

Qais also informed that his stint with the Afghanistan A team in Bangladesh last month helped him to adapt to the condition with great effect.

"Obviously when I came to Bangladesh with the A team that experience helped me a lot to adapt the pitch and condition here," he said.

The leg-spinner, however, by the inability of the home side to utilise their own conditions, but he also credited his teammates, especially skipper Rashid who led the side from the front and bagged four wickets.