Bangladesh edge towards first Test victory over Pakistan

Bangladesh bowlers grabbed six wickets Sunday to edge towards a historic victory as Pakistan’s batting crumbled on the final day of the first Test in Rawalpindi.

Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan grabbed the wickets of Saud Shakeel for a duck and Abdullah Shafique for 37 to leave Pakistan tottering at 108-6 at lunch.

Mohammad Rizwan was at the crease on 22 at the lunch break with Shaheen Shah Afridi on one, the home team still needing nine runs to avoid an innings defeat, reports AFP.

Pakistan have never lost in 13 Tests against Bangladesh.

Small cracks on the Rawalpindi pitch began helping the spin bowlers, who had struggled with an unresponsive track on the first four days, and the Pakistan batters faltered.

Top batter Babar Azam failed again after scoring 22 and skipper Shan Masood only managed 14. First innings century-maker Saud Shakeel then fell for a fourth-ball duck.

Trailing by 117 on the first innings, Pakistan resumed at 23-1 but lost Masood in the second over, caught behind off pacer Hasan Mahmud.

It could have been 28-3 had wicketkeeper Liton Das not dropped a regulation catch off fast bowler Shoriful Islam to give Azam a first-ball reprieve.

Azam hit three delightful boundaries to raise hopes of a Pakistan fightback but was bowled by an inside edge off Nahid Rana for the right-arm paceman’s first wicket of the match.

Shakib, whose participation in the Test drew protests at home over his political ties to ousted premier Sheikh Hasina, had Shakeel stumped and Shafique caught off a miscued shot for figures of 2-24.

Agha Salman fell to off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz for a first-ball duck, leaving Pakistan in tatters at 105-6.

Pakistan scored 448-6 declared in their first innings while Bangladesh replied with 565 — their highest total against Pakistan.