National ( The cow news digital ) Dhaka: Pakistan were bowled out for 386 runs on the third day of the second Test against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, as the home side responded strongly to take a 34-run lead by the end of the day’s play.
Resuming their first innings at 179 for 1, Pakistan lost momentum despite several notable individual performances. Young batter Azan Awais continued his impressive debut form, scoring a well-compiled century before being dismissed for 103 runs off 153 balls, including 14 boundaries. His innings made him the 14th Pakistani batter to score a Test century on debut.
Support came from Abdullah Fazal, who also impressed in his maiden Test appearance with a composed half-century. However, Pakistan suffered a middle-order collapse soon after, losing wickets in quick succession.
Captain Shan Masood managed only 9 runs, while Saud Shakeel was dismissed without scoring. Despite brief resistance from the middle order, including contributions from Salman Ali Agha (58) and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan (59), Pakistan could not convert starts into a big total.
Bangladesh’s bowling attack was led by a disciplined effort, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz claiming five wickets. Support came from Taskin Ahmed and Taijul Islam, who picked up two wickets each, helping to restrict Pakistan to 386 all out. Earlier in the innings, Bangladesh had posted 413, led by centuries from Najmul Hossain Shanto and key contributions from Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim.
By the end of the third day, Bangladesh had started their second innings cautiously, reaching 7 without loss and extending their overall lead to 34 runs. Openers survived a brief spell of disciplined Pakistani bowling under fading light conditions.
Pakistan’s bowling effort in the first innings saw notable performances as well, with Mohammad Abbas taking five wickets and Shaheen Afridi claiming three, while Nauman Ali and Hasan Ali picked up one wicket each.
With two days remaining, the Test remains finely balanced. Pakistan will be aiming for early breakthroughs on the fourth day to regain control, while Bangladesh will look to build on their slim but valuable lead.
