Bangladesh 278 and 110 for 3 (Mahmudul 51, Mominul 30, Shahzad 2-19) lead Pakistan 232 (Babar 68, Saijd 38, Rana 3-60, Taijul 3-67) by 156 runs
Bangladesh ruled the second day of the Sylhet Test, going to stumps with a healthy 156-run lead and only three wickets down in their second attempt. The home side were 110 for 3, losing Mominul Haque on what turned out to be the last ball of the day. Before that, it was a strong showing from their bowlers who combined to restrict Pakistan to 232 for a lead of 46 runs in the first innings, before Mahmudul Hasan Joy led the second innings with a half-century to follow his duck in the first.
Bangladesh's bowling attack once again combined wonderfully, with Nahid Rana and Taijul Islam taking three wickets each. This, after Taskin Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz shared the first four wickets in the morning session.
Pakistan's total would have been much less had it not been for Sajid Khan's big hitting towards the end of their innings. He struck four sixes, three of them in a Taijul over that went for 19 runs. Sajid finished on 38 off 28 balls, limiting Pakistan's deficit to 46 runs.
Babar Azam top-scored for Pakistan with 68 on his return to the playing XI following an injury, but he couldn't stem their struggles. Taskin removed the openers Abdullah Fazal and Azan Awais, for 13 and 9 respectively, after he changed ends for a second spell that followed two wicketless overs early on. Taskin moved the ball away and late, for Fazal to edge to the wicketkeeper Litton Das. Awais soon inside-edged an inswinger onto his pads, which popped to Mominul at short leg.
Mehidy came on as first change and removed the Pakistan captain Shan Masood for 21. Masood drove uppishly towards cover where substitute fielder Nayeem Hasan took a low catch. Saud Shakeel was Mehidy's second victim in that spell. Shakeel toe-ended a sweep which popped to Litton, as his wretched Bangladesh tour continued with a third low score in a row after 15 and 0 in the first Test.
Babar's 63-run fifth wicket stand with Salman Agha gave Pakistan some respite. Babar drove the ball eagerly, timed it well through midwicket, and hit a few square cuts. Ten fours later though, he pushed tentatively against Rana and handed a catch to mid-on.
Taijul soon got into the act, too. He had Agha caught at the square-leg boundary for 21, before bowling Mohammad Rizwan for 13. Rizwan lunged forward for a delivery but saw the ball ricochet off his inside edge and pad, before hitting the stumps.
Taijul then had Hasan Ali skying one to mid-on, where Rana took a tumbling catch and Pakistan were eight down before tea, still trailing by 94 runs. To add to that, Khurram Shahzad fell on the third ball after the break to Rana. With just one wicket in hand, Sajid took his chances against Taijul in the next over for three sixes in a row. But he didn't stay on for too long, caught at fly slip off Rana in the next over.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was unbeaten on 13 at stumps after Mominul fell for 30. Mahmudul reached a quick half-century off 58 balls, as Bangladesh sped out of the blocks on the second evening despite an early setback. Khurram Shahzad removed the debutant Tanzid Hasan for 4 with a delivery that squared up the left-hand batter, who edged the ball to Shakeel at gully.
Mahmudul responded from the other end despite being under pressure after three low scores in the Test series. He struck plenty of cover drives, with five of those reaching the boundary rope beyond the slow outfield. He also didn't miss opportunities to get runs behind the wicket, finding five more fours through deep-third and fine-leg region.
Mahmudul reached his sixth Test fifty, his first against a higher-ranked side in two-and-a-half years. Mahmudul, however, fell shortly afterwards, whipping a catch to Fazal at the square-leg boundary off Mohammad Abbas.
