In less than six overs, Bangladesh slipped from 14 for no loss to 26 for 6 in the first session of day three
Khurram Shahzad exults after cleaning up Shadman Islam • Associated Press
Bangladesh 75 for 6 (Mehidy 33*, Litton 13*, Shahzad 4-15, Hamza 2-29) trail Pakistan 274 by 199 runs
In what was comfortably Pakistan’s best session of the series, Khurram Shahzad and Mir Hamza ripped through the Bangladesh top order leaving them clueless on the morning of the third day of the second Test in Rawalpindi.
The new-ball bowling pair struck six times in 34 balls in the first hour to leave Bangladesh in tatters at 26 for 6. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Litton Das then steadied the Bangladesh innings a touch and took them to 75 for 6 at lunch still trailing Pakistan by 199 runs.
Both bowlers swung the ball hoops, targeted the stumps, and more importantly stuck to their lines. With the new ball just two overs old, Hamza found movement right from the start but not much luck. He got Zakir Hasan to clip one in the air but the ball fell just short of the diving Abrar Ahmed at square leg. A few balls later Pakistan failed to review a lbw decision when Zakir missed a flick and was rapped on the thigh pad. Replays suggested the ball would have taken a big chunk of the leg stump.
Shahzad, however, didn’t have any such issues with luck. With the Bangladesh top order packed with left-handers, he used the around-wicket-angle with precision. His plan was simple: target the stumps and the wickets would come. It worked magnificently.
He first had Zakir flicking uppishly with Abrar taking a simple catch around the short midwicket area. In his next over, he cleaned up Shadman Islam behind his back. The opener walked right across his stumps but failed to consider Shahzad’s swing and found his middle and leg poles in a mess.
Three balls later, it was Najmul Hossain Shanto’s turn to walk back. Shahzad bowled one full getting the ball to slant back in sharply from the angle and the Bangladesh captain played all around the delivery to find his middle stump rattled.
Hamza’s luck then turned when he had Mominul Haque caught off the first ball of the ninth over. It was a meek dismissal, with Mominul chipping a full-length ball to mid-on with the Bangladesh scorecard reading 20 for 4.
That soon became 26 for 5 when Hamza got a length ball to nibble away ever so late with first-Test hero Mushfiqur Rahim only managing a thin edge through to Mohammad Rizwan. Shahzad then got back among the wickets when he trapped Shakib Al Hasan right in front of the stumps, who played down the wrong line and missed. The umpire gave that out on the field and while Shakib reviewed, replays confirmed the ball would have clipped the leg stump.
At 26 for 6, Bangladesh’s lowest Test total of 43 looked in danger. But Mehidy and Litton brought some parity. With the sheen wiped off the ball, and the Khurram-Hamza pair out of the attack, the duo dug in. Mehidy was the aggressor, as he got going with two fierce square cuts off Hamza before getting a couple of fours off Mohammad Ali.
Litton began with a neat clip off Shahzad and while he was struck on the elbow by the same bowler, he made sure to stick around. With the pitch easing, and Abrar and Ali not as incisive, Mehidy and Litton reached lunch unscathed having added 49 runs for the seventh wicket.
Bangladesh still need 50 runs to avoid the follow-on because as the opening day was washed out, the follow-on margin was reduced to 150.
Ashish Pant is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo
