Babar, Azhar take Pakistan to harmony on start-stop day

The pair added an unbeaten 91 for the 3rd wicket earlier than all of the 3rd consultation used to be known as off because of unhealthy mild

Stumps Pakistan 161 for two (Babar 60*, Azhar 36*, Taijul 2-49) vs Bangladesh

The morning consultation used to be one in every of two halves as Pakistan made stable growth within the first hour, just for Bangladesh’s spinners to strike again in the second one. On an overcast day in Dhaka, the place Pakistan opted to bat first, openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique eased to their 3rd successive fifty partnership. This time, on the other hand, they may no longer convert it to 3 figures, due to probing spells from Taijul Islam and Shakib Al Hasan. Taijul used to be the person to take each wickets, knocking again the openers’ stumps as Pakistan, who have been going alongside at nearly 4 runs consistent with over for far of the primary hour, scratched their option to 78 for two at lunch.

Pakistan had seemed untroubled in opposition to the short bowlers to begin off, with the overcast prerequisites no longer accompanied via the sideways motion Bangladesh’s pacers may have was hoping the ones climate prerequisites introduced. Not like in Chattogram, the place Abid and Shafique have been in all probability to blame of being too passive with regards to the scoring price, the pair driven forward extra forcefully, steadily hanging away deficient deliveries, refusing to let Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed settle.

It used to be unsurprising to look Taijul presented after simply ten overs, however even with spin working, Pakistan’s openers refused to be slowed down to start with. Shafique pulled Taijul away over sq. leg off simply his fourth supply, whilst Abid clipped Shakib throughout the leg aspect subsequent over. The shot of the morning used to be when Shafique skipped down the bottom to gracefully deposit Taijul over long-off for an excellent six to convey up the fifty partnership, however round that point, the momentum used to be subtly starting to shift.

The following 25 balls noticed simplest six runs scored, and stale the twenty sixth, Bangladesh had their guy. Taijul landed one on a duration that lured Shafique into the ahead press to play for the spin, however the ball carried on with the arm and pierced throughout the hole and into the stumps. The primary ball to Azhar Ali examined him in a similar way, despite the fact that it did not get his wicket, and Bangladesh have been abruptly prowling.

With the spinners stifling Pakistan and each run a struggle, Abid noticed his defences breached, too. As with Shafique, he didn’t learn the arm ball, bringing his bat down on one a color too overdue, to search out he had chopped it on.

The skies remained darkish and overcast after lunch, and the second one consultation started with actual optimism for the house aspect. With Azhar Ali suffering to deal with the soar and switch, and Babar in a slightly detached patch of red-ball shape via his requirements, Bangladesh can have sniffed a possibility to show a abruptly fragile heart order.

It wasn’t to be, even though. After Azhar and Babar steeled out the most efficient a part of an hour, the rains arrived. The 25-minute spoil gave the impression to sap momentum from the house aspect, and Babar’s fluency used to be on complete show thereafter. Khaled Ahmed had the risk to carry directly to a hard probability at the boundary when Babar took the aerial path, however that used to be spurned and the batter adopted up with a extra authoritative pull against midwicket.

Azhar Ali swept Mehidy for a boundary subsequent over, and somewhat clip to fantastic leg introduced Babar Azam his half-century thereafter. Bangladesh endured to probe, Shakib specifically flighting the ball looking for grip, however Pakistan had begun to take over via now.

However so had the clouds after tea. The umpires deemed it too darkish for play to proceed, that means no additional play used to be imaginable. The following 4 days can have early begins, even though with rain anticipated to be an element over a lot of the weekend, how a lot play is imaginable continues to be observed.