Pakistan's game to lose now after Day 4
Openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique have put up successive century stands in the match as Pakistan are well on course to their target of 202 against Bangladesh at the close of fourth day's play of the Chattogram Test.
And the end of day four, it is Pakistan's game to lose now as they stand at 109 for no loss, having played 33 overs, and require another 96 runs with ample overs left in the game on the fifth and final day tomorrow.
Both Pakistan openers reached their fifties with Ali being the first reach the milestone after facing 92 deliveries before Shafique, who brought up his half-century off 88 balls in an emphatic fashion, with a six off Mehedy Hasan Miraz.
Taijul Islam, who bagged a seven-for in the first innings, has bowled comparately well for the hosts in the second and managed to beat the bat a few times with his flight and spin.
Even though the game looks to be done and dusted for the hosts, the Tigers can still derive inspiration from the morning session they had on the third day, where they picked all 10 Pakistan batters while conceding 134 runs.
Earlier in the day today, a fine fifty from Liton Das and a gutsy 36 on debut from Yasir Ali gave Bangladesh somewhat of a fighting chance as they could pile up no more than a score of 157 in their second innings. Yasir unfortunately had suffered a concussion and was retired hurt and Nurul Hasan Sohan came in to bat for the debutant. However, Nurul could not do justice to Yasir's knock as the substitute got out on 15, trying to hit a maximum against the run of play.
Visitors well in control at Tea
Pakistan have made a solid start to their chase of 202 runs against Bangladesh as the two sides head for Tea on the fourth day of the Chattogram Test.
The two openers – Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique – have made batting look easy so far at Zahur Ahmed Cricket Stadium. Abid and Shafique have strung together an unbeaten partnership of 38 in 12 overs as Pakistan need 164 more runs to win the first of the two Tests of the series.
Taijul Islam and company can only hope to repeat their bowling performance of yesterday, where they picked all ten wickets of Pakistan for 134 runs.
Pakistan need 202 to win
Shaheen Shah Afridi scalped the prized wicket of Liton Das and bagged a fifer in the same over as Bangladesh went on to being bundled out for 157 in the second session of the fourth day of the Chattogram Test.
Liton's fine innings, of 59 off 89 balls, ended after he missed the inswinger from Afridi, who came round the wicket to ball, and got trapped in front. Liton had no choice but to opt for a review, which however was not meant to go in his favour as the ball was hitting the leg stump.
With Sajid Khan luring Taijul Islam to a stumping dismissal, Bangladesh ended their innings on 157 after 56.2 overs, riding on Liton's fifty and Yasir Ali's 36, which means the visitors need to score 202 to win with over four sessions left to play.
Apart from Afridi's fifer, Sajid scalped three wickets in the day and Hasan Ali picked two for the visitors, including the crucial wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim in the first over of today.
Liton brings up his fifty but Sohan departs
Liton Kumar Das has followed his 114-run knock in the first innings with a half-century in the second innings as Bangladesh extend their lead to 200 in the post-lunch session on the penultimate day of the Chattogram Test against Pakistan.
Sohan departed, after scoring 15 off 33 balls, against the run of play as he ended up getting caught at long on while needlessly trying to hit off-spinner Sajid Khan off the park. Sohan managed to stitch a 38-run partnership with Liton, who is continuing his fine form and is unbeaten on 58 off 86 balls, carrying the torch of hope for the hosts.
Taijul Islam has joined Liton at the centre as Bangladesh are at 156 for seven after 54 overs
Sohan at crease as Chattogram Test's latest dramatic entry
The latest addition to the string of dramatic events in the ongoing Chattogram Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan has now included the surprise appearance of Nurul Hasan Sohan with the bat before Bangladesh headed into lunch at 115 for six with the lead gone up to 159.
Replacing Yasir Ali, retired hurt from concussion, and following the dismissal of Mehedy Hasan Miraz, the wicketkeeper-batter came close to being dismissed on the penultimate delivery before lunch when off-spinner Sajid Khan struck Sohan in the pads. Babar Azam and co. appealed for a review, however, replay showed the impact of the ball was made outside the line of the off stump.
Earlier, Miraz was undone by a Sajid Khan delivery, which struck him plumb in-front, as he departed after a watchfull 44-ball 11-run knock and the hosts lost a review as well with the fall of Miraz's wicket.
Every run post-lunch would be crucial as the Tigers would be eyeing a lead of 200, at least, to give themselves a fighting chance, considering the hosts picked 10 Pakistan batters for 134 runs yesterday and also keeping in mind the wicket is bound to deteriorate over time and pose more questions for the batters.
Centurion of the first innings Liton Das is still out there for the Tigers, on 32 from 62 deliveries. How he builds his innings and stitches partnerships with the tail, the likes of Tajiul Islam, may end up deciding the outcome of the match. Pakistan still have the clear edge in this game but one 50-run partnership can tilt the odds in Bangladesh's favour.
Tigers reach 150 lead after Yasir retired hurt from concussion
Bangladesh have suffered a setback as Yasir Ali had to leave the field as a precautionary measure after getting hit on the back of the helmet from a Shaheen Afridi's bouncer.
Even though Yasir did not immediately leave the field and went on to play the next over, innings' 31st, as well. The debutant was looking good during his stay in the middle as he yielded 36 runs off 72 deliveries. Wicket-keeper batter Nurul Hasan Sohan will be allowed to bat for Yasir in the innings.
The lead has mounted to 150 as Bangladesh piled up 106 for five after 40 overs. Liton Das, on 28 off 49 balls, is lucky to be in the middle as his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Rizwan failed to stump him off Nauman Ali's delivery in the 27th over before Liton saved himself with a review in the 37th over when Sajid Khan struck him in the pads. Mehedy Hasan Miraz has joined Liton and played a cautious 36-ball 6, just what the doctor ordered for the hosts.
Earlier, Bangladesh hit at least one boundary in each of the over from 26th to 29th over, where Yasir had hit five out of the six boundaries in that period, even though in the context of the game at this stage, Pakistan would be far from being bothered by a flurry of boundaries here and there.
Run-rate is not a concern for the hosts either and since the Pakistani attack has not looked as menacing as it did in the opening session of the first couple of days, it would be a cardinal sin if the Bangladesh batters get out from unforced errors from here on.
Liton arrives in first over as Mushfiqur departs
Just like yesterday, a wicket fell in the first over of the day again and this time it was Mushfiqur Rahim, who departed after facing three deliveries on the fourth day of the first of the Two Tests taking place between Bangladesh and Pakistan at Zahur Ahmed Cricket Stadium in Chattogram.
Hasan Ali started off with two straight fuller deliveries to start the proceedings, the first of which was flicked with ease for a boundary. However, the third ball was pitched in length and outside the off stump and Mushfiqur, on 16 and while facing 33rd delivery, brought his demise by deciding to leave the ball, which jagged back in to hit the top of the off stump.
It is a huge blow for Bangladesh as they find themselves cornered at 69 for five after 26 overs and lead by 113 runs. Liton Das, the centurion of the first innings for the hosts, has joined Yasir Ali in the middle and is on 9 after facing 17 deliveries. Yasir, on 24 off 62, has looked solid overall but lived dangeously in the 26th over, having survived a run-out scare first, then followed it up by missing Ali's inswinger, which somehow missed the stumps.
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