Pakistan has established a strong position with a significant first-innings score in the first Test match against Bangladesh being played in Rawalpindi. On the second day, when their captain Shan Masood decided to end their innings, Pakistan had scored 448 runs for the loss of 6 wickets after 113 overs. Mohammad Rizwan remained not out on 171, and Shaheen Afridi was also not out on 29.
It’s worth noting that Rizwan was just 29 runs short of potentially achieving his first double century in a Test match. Could the decision to declare the innings have been postponed?
Pakistan’s vice-captain, Saud Shakeel, who scored 141 runs from 261 balls, said the team had planned when to declare their innings. He mentioned that Rizwan was informed about an hour in advance that they would declare once they got close to 450 runs.
Shakeel explained, “Regarding Rizwan’s double century, I don’t believe we rushed the decision to declare. Rizwan had a sense an hour or so before that we would declare around that time, aiming to reach near 450 runs before doing so,” during a press conference after the second day’s play.
At the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan began their innings by batting first and quickly faced difficulties, losing three key players within the first 9 overs. Openers Asad Shafique (9 runs), Masood (6 runs), and former captain Babar Azam (0 runs) were dismissed early. However, Saim Ayub and Rizwan then steadied the team with a strong partnership of 98 runs for the fourth wicket. Ayub made 56 runs before he was out.
This dismissal led to an even more significant partnership between Rizwan and Shakeel, who together scored 240 runs for the fifth wicket, giving Pakistan a strong lead. Bangladesh’s bowlers, Hasan Mahmud (2 wickets for 70 runs) and Shoriful Islam (2 wickets for 77 runs), each took two wickets, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz (1 wicket for 80 runs) and Shakib Al Hasan (1 wicket for 100 runs) each claimed one wicket.
In response, Bangladesh started their batting with 27 runs without losing a wicket after 12 overs, with Shadman Islam (12 runs not out) and Zakir Hasan (11 runs not out) remaining unbeaten.
