Bangladesh Seizes Control on Pak vs Ban 2nd Test Day 2 Despite Babar Azam's Sensational Milestone

SYLHET: Bangladesh seized absolute control of the second Test at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. They finished Day 2 with a commanding 156-run lead. 

A disciplined, multi-pronged bowling performance dismantled Pakistan's first innings for 232. Bangladesh secured a vital 46-run first-innings advantage for the hosts. Bangladesh compounded Pakistan's miseries by racing to 110/3 by stumps.

Taskin and Mehidy Strike Early

Resuming the day at 21/0, Pakistan’s top order crumbled against a relentless Bangladesh attack. Seamer Taskin Ahmed broke through in the morning's second over, dismissing Abdullah Fazal (9), who edged a late-moving delivery to wicketkeeper Litton Das. Taskin struck again shortly after, utilizing inner-edge movement to have Azan Awais (13) caught at short midwicket.

Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz then deepened the crisis in his opening over. He induced a mistimed back-foot punch from Pakistan captain Shan Masood (21), who picked out substitute fielder Nayeem Hasan at cover. Saud Shakeel followed shortly after, leaving Pakistan reeling at 79/4 by lunch.

Babar’s Resistance and Rana's Fire

Babar Azam, returning to the lineup after an injury layoff, provided Pakistan's sole major resistance. Stabilizing the innings, Babar scored a resilient 68 off 84 balls. First, his gritty half-century marked his 20th WTC fifty, moving him past Ben Stokes to tie Australian great Steve Smith and England's Zak Crawley for the third-most fifties in WTC history. 

Moments later, he solidified his status as the leading international run-scorer of the 2020s decade. Babar became the first and only batter to surpass 9,000 international runs in the 2020s, reaching the landmark in his 212th international appearance of the decade to sit comfortably ahead of England's Joe Root.

However, Bangladesh’s pace prodigy Nahid Rana broke Pakistan's backbone post-lunch. Rana's express pace accounted for Babar, triggering a swift collapse of the lower-middle order. Left-arm orthodox spinner Taijul Islam ran through the tail. He matched Rana’s figures as both bowlers finished with identical returns of 3-60 (Rana) and 3-67 (Taijul). A spirited No. 9 cameo from Sajid Khan, who bludgeoned a quickfire 38 runs, including three consecutive sixes off Taijul, helped drag Pakistan to 232. This effort minimized the first-innings deficit to 46.

Joy’s Blitz and Shahzad's Final-Ball Lifeline

Armed with a healthy lead, Bangladesh’s second innings began with aggressive intent. Opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy bounced back emphatically from his first-innings duck to smash a rapid half-century off just 58 balls. Joy's aggressive 52 set a brisk tempo for the hosts before he fell to Mohammad Abbas.

Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to stem the run flow until the final moments of the day. Khurram Shahzad, who bowled beautifully to finish the evening with figures of 2-19, produced a brilliant delivery on the absolute final ball of the day. He found the edge of Mominul Haque (30) to secure a crucial caught-behind dismissal.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto remained unbeaten on 13 at stumps. Despite Shahzad's late breakthrough, Bangladesh heads into Day 3 firmly in the driver's seat with seven wickets in hand and a rapidly expanding lead.