Shanto and Mominul push Bangladesh ahead as draw looms

Bangladesh strengthened their position against Pakistan on a rain-hit fourth day in Mirpur, extending their overall lead to 179 runs with seven wickets still in hand after another composed partnership between Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque.

At stumps, Bangladesh were 152 for 3 in their second innings after earlier bowling Pakistan out for 386. Shanto remained unbeaten on 58 while Mushfiqur Rahim safely guided the side through the closing stages after Shaheen Shah Afridi removed Mominul late in the day.

With torrential rain wiping out the entire afternoon session and bad light ending play early, a draw increasingly appeared the likely outcome. Even so, Bangladesh maintained control for most of the available overs through disciplined batting and another century stand between Shanto and Mominul.

Pakistan strike early under overcast skies

Pakistan’s seamers enjoyed ideal bowling conditions in the morning with heavy cloud cover and the floodlights switched on from the start of play.

Mohammad Abbas made the first breakthrough when he trapped Mahmudul Hasan Joy lbw after getting the ball to nip back sharply off the surface. Hasan Ali then removed Shadman Islam with a lifting delivery that caught the shoulder of the bat, continuing Pakistan’s strong start.

Those early wickets briefly gave Pakistan momentum, especially with the surface still offering variable bounce and movement.

Mominul and Shanto regain control

The innings once again settled around Mominul Haque and Najmul Hossain Shanto, the same pair that had already frustrated Pakistan in the first innings.

Their partnership steadily absorbed pressure before gradually shifting the balance back towards Bangladesh. Mominul played the more measured role while Shanto increased the tempo whenever scoring opportunities appeared.

The pair added 105 runs together, marking their second century partnership of the Test. It was also only the third occasion a Bangladesh pair had recorded two hundred-plus stands in the same Test match.

Pakistan briefly threatened through Salman Ali Agha’s offspin, particularly when Mohammad Rizwan dropped a sharp chance behind the stumps. But the danger quickly faded as both left-handers settled deeper into their innings.

Mominul even stepped out confidently before lunch to launch Agha straight down the ground, underlining Bangladesh’s growing comfort despite the difficult conditions.

Rain interruption fails to slow Bangladesh

Heavy rain halted play for several hours and completely washed out the afternoon session. The lengthy interruption might have disrupted Bangladesh’s rhythm, but the batters resumed without any visible loss of control.

Shanto and Mominul both reached half-centuries after play restarted, continuing to frustrate Pakistan’s attack on a surface that had flattened considerably compared to earlier in the match.

Abbas remained Pakistan’s most consistent threat with his relentless accuracy, while Shan Masood finally introduced Noman Ali after 35 overs. Pakistan had delayed using the left-arm spinner against two left-hand batters, but Noman immediately created chances.

He forced Mominul into a splice towards short leg where Abdullah Fazal dropped a difficult opportunity. Later, Mushfiqur Rahim nearly miscued another aggressive stroke into a catching position at long-on.

Shaheen provides late breakthrough

Pakistan finally broke the stand late in the evening when Shaheen Shah Afridi found movement back into Mominul, dismissing him for 56.

For a brief period, Pakistan sensed an opening to force further breakthroughs before bad light intervened. However, Shanto and Mushfiqur ensured Bangladesh closed the day without additional damage.

Bangladesh now lead by 179 runs with seven wickets remaining, placing them in a strong position heading into the final day. While weather interruptions and the state of the pitch have pushed the match towards a draw, Pakistan will still require early wickets if they are to force a result in Mirpur.

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