Asad Shafiq Confident About Pakistan Victory Ahead of Tense Final Day

SYLHET: Pakistan batting coach Asad Shafiq expressed strong optimism about his side’s chances on the final day of the second Test against Bangladesh at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, saying the visitors still believe they can complete a difficult chase.

Pakistan ended day four on 316-7, requiring 121 more runs with three wickets in hand. Mohammad Rizwan remained unbeaten on 75, with Sajid Khan on eight at stumps as the match moved into a tense final day situation.

Bangladesh were lifted by a decisive spell from spinner Taijul Islam, who picked up four wickets and disrupted Pakistan’s middle-order resistance. Earlier, Pakistan had shown resilience through Rizwan and Salman, who helped stabilise the innings after early setbacks and carried the side past the 250-run mark before the collapse.

Asad Shafiq is Confident About Pakistan Victory

Asad Shafiq said Pakistan remained in a position to win the match despite the pressure of a fourth-innings chase. He pointed to the improved batting partnerships as a key reason for his belief heading into the final day.

“We can win this game. If you look at today’s batting performance, we are really hopeful. Around 120 runs are still needed, Rizwan is batting, and considering the way Sajid played in the first innings, we are confident,” he said.

He added that Pakistan’s batting group showed better application compared to earlier matches in the series.

“That was an amazing comeback as a batting unit because we did not have such partnerships earlier in the series. These were the things we were missing as a batting group, so it is encouraging to see them finally coming together. Our previous three innings in this series were not good enough, but the way some of the players stood up today gives me a lot of hope,” he said.

Asad also described the Sylhet surface as a balanced Test wicket that offered assistance to both batters and bowlers at different stages of the match.

“I think this is the best kind of Test track you can have. There is something in it for everyone, a bit of spin and some seam movement for the fast bowlers, especially with the new ball. As a batter, you get value for your shots. I believe this is an excellent Test wicket,” he observed.

Pakistan will resume on the final morning needing 121 runs with three wickets in hand to level the series.