Abid Ali bounced back from successive centuries after Pakistan registered an eight-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first Test in Chittagong on Tuesday. Ali’s 151-run stand with fellow opener Abdullah Shafiq helped end the game before lunch on the final day, beating their first-innings partnership by five.
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The duo had already made 109 overnight while chasing 202.
Bangladesh had to wait until the 10th over of the day for their first breakthrough when Mehdi Hasan dismissed Shafiq for 73 runs lbw off a fuller ball. Shafiq, who scored a half-century in the first innings too, fell for eight fours and a six.
Ali, who scored 133 in Pakistan’s first innings, looked poised to become the first Pakistani to score a Test century in six years, after the feat was achieved by Misbah-ul-Haq against Australia in 2014. A straighter delivery from the middle stump, with Pakistan just 31 runs away from victory.
“Our thought process was to stay on the wicket and build partnerships. I am playing domestic cricket and doing well. That’s what I did in this game,” Man of the Match Ali said.
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He left the crease for a standing ovation and congratulated the Bangladeshi fielders for a scintillating 148-ball knock, which hit 12 fours.
Unbeaten 24-year-old Azhar Ali ended the game in over 58.3 after hitting consecutive boundaries off Mehdi while skipper Babar Azam remained unbeaten on 13 at the other end.
Babar said, ‘We made a good comeback… and that is Test cricket.
Taijul finished the game with eight wickets for the hosts, including 7–116 in the first innings. “We lost in the first innings and the second innings as well, but the credit goes to them, especially Afridi and Hasan Ali. He bowled really well,” said Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque.
The hosts scored 330 runs in the first innings and took a 44-run lead by dismissing Pakistan.
Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das scored 114 runs in the first innings and 59 runs in the next innings. Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi shone with the ball for Pakistan, claiming 5-51 and 5-32 respectively in the two innings.
The second Test will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka from December 4-8.
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