Photo: Firoz Ahmed
Bangladesh batter Najmul Hossain Shanto smashed 175-ball 146 to help the Tigers pile 362 runs for the loss of five wickets against Afghanistan on the first day of the only Test against Afghanistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
Shanto put away 23 fours and two maximums and put together a 212-run stand with opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who scored hit nine fours for his 76.
Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehedi Hasan Miraz remained unbeaten on 41 and 43 respectively with a 72-run stand between them at stumps on Day 1.
Bangladesh’s 362 for five in 79 overs became their fastest total in the first innings on the first day of a Test match.
Eariler, Bangladesh were put into bat and were pegged back in only the second over as they lost opener Zakir Hasan for one run to Nijat.
But the Tigers were able to quickly recover and managed to pile on the misery on the bowlers with the 200-plus partnership between Shanto and Joy.
Outside edges were in fashion on the first day as Joy, who looked solid, went after a gentle, flighted delivery outside off-stump but could only manage to nick it to slip off the bowling of leg-spinner Rahmat Shah.
Mominul, who managed a 25-ball 15, Haque batting woes continued when he tickled one to the keeper down the legside leaving the Tigers three down for 256. He was undone by Nijat who scalped his second.
Shanto followed suit after five overs and missed out on his second 150 in Tests as he perished while trying to take on left-arm wrist-spinner Amir Hamza. The left-handed batter danced down the wicket and tried to go over deep mid-wicket but couldn’t make enough connection as he found the lone fielder at the boundary.
Skipper Liton Das’s stay in the middle was short as he failed to grab a read on Zahir Khan’s wrong-un which turned away from the right-handed batter and took the outside edge to Ibrahim Zadran at slip to have Bangladesh five down for 290.
Miraz led a counterpunch after and a steady Mushfiqur saw out the day.
