Bangladesh concluded the opening day of their one-off Test match against Afghanistan at 317/8 in Abu Dhabi on Friday. After electing to bat first, Bangladesh’s innings was anchored by a productive 124-run opening partnership between Tanzid Hasan and Shadman Islam, both of whom struck half-centuries on the slow-paced pitch at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Tanzid Hasan, coming off a maiden century in Darwin against Australia, contributed 83 runs to the total, featuring eight boundaries and four sixes. His partner, Shadman Islam, chipped in with 67 runs, including seven fours. The pair provided a stable start to the innings, though Shadman benefited from an early reprieve when Hashmatullah Shahidi dropped a catch at cover when the batter was on five.
Following the departure of the openers, Afghanistan managed to restrict the middle order, taking five wickets for 101 runs. This mid-innings slump included the dismissals of captain Najmul Hossain Shanto for 29, Mominul Haque for 39, and Mushfiqur Rahim, who was dismissed for a duck. However, wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das played a crucial role in stabilizing the innings with a half-century, scoring 53 runs, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz added 24 to bolster the scoreboard. At the close of play, Nayeem Hasan was unbeaten on 11, accompanied by Taijul Islam, who remained on four.
For Afghanistan, the bowling attack was led by Mohammad Saleem, who claimed 3-70. Ismat Alam and Yamin Ahmadzai also contributed significantly, taking two wickets each, while leg-spinner Qais Ahmad finished with figures of 1-60. Afghanistan, which currently uses the United Arab Emirates and India as neutral venues for their home fixtures due to the security situation in their country, will look to wrap up the tail quickly when play resumes.
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