Pakistan openers a class apart for Bangladesh bowling attack

Pakistan openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique put on strong performances to prime Pakistan for the win in the first Test match at Chattogram, Bangladesh.

An unbeaten opening partnership of 109 runs on the fourth day set the visitors up for a big win while chasing 202 runs.

Both openers etched their names in the record books en route their respective innings, but above all built a strong foundation with risk-free shot making.

The openers, who had made a century stand in the first innings as well, became only the second Pakistani opening duo to achieve the feat in both innings of a Test match. Scoring at a healthy rate throughout their innings, both openers brought up their half centuries before the end of day’s play. While Abid scored 56 off 105 balls, Shafique put up 53 off 93 balls to become the fifth Pakistan batsman to score half centuries in both innings.

Earlier in the day, Shaheen Afridi ripped through the Bangladesh batting order to give Pakistan a great chance at the Test match, despite being behind in the first innings. The pacers, who have been in great form throughout the series, bundled Bangladesh in just under 57 overs, for the batter to have a good crack at the total.

With one day’s play left, Pakistan need to score just 93 runs with 10 wickets in hand.

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IND vs NZ | 1st Test: Indian spinners denied by light as gritty Kiwis eke out hard-earned draw

There was drama aplenty as Indian spinners tried their level best to get the last New Zealand wicket and go 1-0 up in the two-match Test series at home against the reigning World Test Championship. But the light meter, handled carefully by the on field-umpires Nitin Menon and Virender Sharma kept getting out of their pockets and being used regularly to break the flow of the game for the last half an hour. The Indian spinners were not only fighting against the batters but also the fading light and time which was running out. Having gotten nine wickets with nine overs remaining, it was sure that India would be winning from thereon. But credit must also be given to Ajaz Patel on how well he accompanied Rachin Ravindra, who was the main reason why this heard-earned draw happened. Ravindra-Ajaz rescue act With six close-in fielders waiting for even the slightest of chances and having seen not just one but three batters getting out to a ball that goes straight instead of turning, it would have not been easy for Ravindra, who was making his Test debut in this game, to bat out the overs he did. For Ajaz, it would have been doubly difficult, but the focus in the eyes of the two batters was evident, they always played on the front foot, not making a mistake of being on the backfoot that their predecessors made. There were was a solid defence initially, a few lucky escapes and also a sharp chance going down in the penultimate over of the day, but all that cannot take away the gentleman-ship shown by the New Zealand team and their batters at the crease. Not even once there was even a try from the dressing room to throw in a towel or gloves or drinks to try and delay the game. Nor did the batsmen at the crease try anything fancy like asking for gloves or untying shoelaces, it was pure determination that got them to the draw. Comeback from the Indian spinners However, before this rescue act, there was a superb comeback from the Indian spinners as they took five wickets in the last session and got players like Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor to commit mistakes in situations they could have avoided. At 118-2 with Tom Latham and Williamson all settled at the crease, a draw was looking like the only possibility until Ravichandran Ashwin a loppy outside off delivery to break the concentration of Latham. He chanced on to it and was played down just after completing his second fifty in the game. That dismissal opened the doors for the Indian spinners and they hurried through, soon Taylor was out as well before Tea. Now India were to get six wickets in the last session and they started off well with Akshar Patel getting the wicket of Henry Nicholls. Williamson followed suit after a very low-keeping Jadeja delivery crashed into his pads. Tom Blundell tried hard to deliver as vice-captain and get the draw. He got a partnership going with Ravindra, but a very stranger dismissal in which ball after being pushed by him, hit the rough patch in the wicket and collided with the bails, saw him out of the park. Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee were removed in an identical manner by Jadeja, but the two also derailed India’s victory and every ball played by every batter in the end counted. The willpower of Will Somerville If every ball played counted as a criterion to be judged, then William Somerville the nightwatchman who was sent last evening to protect Tom Latham from getting out after the unfortunate dismissal of Will Young should be given the winner’s award. He not only played out the last evening but with his dogged approach made sure that Kiwis didn’t lose even a single wicket in the morning session. Had it not been for an attacking approach pots Lunch, where he tried to pull Umesh Yadav and was caught in the deep by Shubman Gill, no one knows how long he would have tired down the Indian spinners. In total, the 37-year-old played 110 balls for his 36 runs and gave belief to the batters sitting in the dugout that it was possible to get this match drawn. With this win, the Kiwis added four crucial points to their World Test Championship 2021-23 Points Table. The caravan of the series would now move to Mumbai where it will culminate with the last Tets on red soil wicket which wouldn’t be the toughest play to play at for the Kiwis who like pace and bounce.