Pak vs Ban 1st Test Day 1: Shanto Century Puts Bangladesh in Charge

MIRPUR: A commanding century from captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and a resilient batting display from Mominul Haque propelled Bangladesh to a position of strength on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan. 

At stumps, the hosts reached 301/4, capitalizing on a flat Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium pitch after navigating a precarious early morning session. The day began with Pakistan captain Shan Masood winning the toss and electing to bowl, citing early moisture in the surface. 

His decision appeared vindicated almost immediately. Shaheen Shah Afridi, returning to the Test arena with renewed vigor, created history in the seventh over. With a trademark inswinging delivery that trapped Mahmudul Hasan Joy plumb in front, Shaheen Afridi became the first Pakistani bowler to reach the milestone of 100 wickets in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).

When Shadman Islam fell shortly after to a disciplined  Hasan Ali, Bangladesh looked vulnerable at 31/2. However, the narrative of the day shifted dramatically as Najmul Hossain Shanto joined Mominul Haque at the crease.

Shanto, playing with the poise of a leader, took the attack to the Pakistani spinners. His innings was a blend of calculated aggression and technical soundness, particularly against the left-arm spin of Noman Ali. 

Shanto reached his century off 128 balls, a knock punctuated by 12 boundaries and two sixes over long-on. It was his first Test hundred against Pakistan, and it effectively sucked the momentum out of the visitors’ bowling attack. 

At the other end, Mominul Haque played the perfect foil. The veteran left-hander was content to rotate the strike and punish the rare loose delivery. The duo shared a marathon 170-run partnership for the third wicket, the highest for Bangladesh against Pakistan in this format. The stand was finally broken late in the afternoon session when Shanto got lbw by Mohammad Abbas.

Mominul continued his quest for a century but fell agonizingly short on 91. A sharp-turning delivery from Noman Ali took the shoulder of the bat, ending a 200-ball vigil that had anchored the majority of the day. Despite the two late breakthroughs, Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to maintain pressure on a surface that offered little lateral movement after the first hour. Shaheen Afridi finished the day with figures of 1/67, while Mohammad Abbas and Hasan Ali remained economical but lacked the penetration to run through the middle order.

As the shadows lengthened, the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim (48*) and Litton Das (8*) ensured there were no further hiccups. Rahim, approaching yet another half-century, looked comfortable against both pace and spin, guiding Bangladesh past the 300-run mark just before the close of play.

With six wickets in hand and two set veteran batsmen at the crease, Bangladesh enters Day 2 with the clear objective of batting Pakistan out of the game. For the visitors, the second new ball, due in five overs, will be critical if they hope to restrict the hosts to a sub-400 total.