Shanto, Mominul put Bangladesh in command on Day 1

Bangladesh seized complete control of the opening day in Mirpur as Najmul Hossain Shanto’s superb century and Mominul Haque’s composed 91 guided the hosts to 301 for 4 against Pakistan. The Shanto innings stood at the centre of Bangladesh’s dominance as they remarkably scored 101 runs in each of the three sessions.

Pakistan’s decision to bowl first initially looked justified after Bangladesh slipped to 31 for 2. Shaheen Afridi struck early by drawing Mahmudul Hasan Joy into a false shot outside off stump, while Hasan Ali found movement to remove Shadman Islam with Salman Agha taking the catch in the slips.

Shanto and Mominul rebuild after early collapse

With Bangladesh under pressure inside the opening hour, Shanto and Mominul steadied the innings through a vital 170-run stand for the third wicket. The partnership gradually drained Pakistan’s attack as the conditions eased and the movement off the surface disappeared.

Mominul played with patience and control, repeatedly using the late cut effectively against the quick bowlers, while Shanto became increasingly fluent through the off side. Pakistan’s seamers struggled to maintain the same threat after the opening spell, allowing the pair to dictate the tempo across the middle sessions.

Afridi, after an energetic start, lost some effectiveness during his second spell as Bangladesh began rotating the strike comfortably. The hosts particularly targeted the spinners, with Shanto using his feet confidently against Noman Ali and regularly finding boundaries through cover and mid-off.

Shanto reaches hundred before Abbas responds immediately

The Bangladesh captain brought up his ninth Test hundred with a boundary through the covers before celebrating emphatically in front of the Mirpur crowd.

However, Mohammad Abbas responded on the very next delivery. Bowling from around the wicket with Mohammad Rizwan standing up to the stumps, Abbas trapped Shanto lbw after an inside edge was missed. The on-field decision was initially not out, but Hawk-Eye confirmed the ball was clipping the top of middle stump.

Even after losing their captain, Bangladesh maintained control of the contest through Mominul and Mushfiqur Rahim. Mominul became more aggressive during the evening session, ensuring Pakistan never built sustained pressure despite regular bowling changes from Shan Masood.

Mushfiqur keeps Bangladesh in command late on

Mushfiqur settled confidently after a cautious start and targeted Noman Ali for consecutive boundaries as Bangladesh’s advantage continued to grow. The partnership stretched to 75 before Pakistan finally broke through again late in the day.

Noman eventually dismissed Mominul for 91 after trapping him lbw with a delivery that stayed low. Earlier in the same over, Pakistan had reviewed another lbw appeal only to discover Noman had overstepped for the seventh time during the innings.

Pakistan attempted a late push with the second new ball as uneven bounce occasionally troubled the batters. Hasan Ali struck Mushfiqur painfully on the pads, while Shaheen managed to beat the outside edge a couple of times. Despite that brief pressure, Mushfiqur remained unbeaten on 48 alongside Litton Das at stumps.

Bangladesh’s ability to recover from 31 for 2 and dominate all three sessions has left the hosts firmly in control heading into the second day. Pakistan’s bowlers showed flashes with the new ball, but their inability to consistently threaten once the surface settled allowed Bangladesh to build a commanding first-innings platform.

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