Babar, Azhar put Pakistan on top
Batters put Pakistan in control before the opening day's play of their second Test against Bangladesh came to a premature end at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.
On a gloomy day in Mirpur, skipper Babar Azam (60* off 99) and Azhar Ali (36* off 112) put together an unbroken 91-run third-wicket stand to help Pakistan pile up 161 for two in 57 overs before play could not be further continued post-tea due to insufficient light.
Players of both sides had walked out to the field after tea but umpires deemed the light to be insufficient when Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque wanted to resume the final session of the day with a pacer. According to the officials, only spinners were allowed to continue bowling in such conditions.
Earlier, Pakistan openers Abid Ali (39 off 81) and Abdullah Shafique (25 off 50) had provided the visitors with a solid start after electing to bat. However, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, who had troubled the Pakistani batters throughout by getting significant purchase off the pitch, removed both openers to help the Tigers finish on a high before lunch.
But the second session belonged to Pakistan entirely as Babar notched his 19th Test fifty and Azhar, despite a few close calls, showed grit and determination to carry on. Both the batters saw Pakistan amass 83 runs in the 26 overs that were bowled in the second session.
If the weather and light permit, the game will begin at 9:30am today, 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled time, to make up for the time lost yesterday. A total of 98 overs are scheduled to be bowled today.
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