Day 2 – Bangladesh chose to field.
Current RR: 3.96
• Min. Ov. Rem: 87.1
• Last 10 ov (RR): 43/1 (4.30)
Hosts, who trail the series 0-1, brought in legspinner Abrar Ahmed and left-arm seamer Mir Hamza
Taskin Ahmed replaced Shoriful Islam, who is out with a groin niggle • Associated Press
Toss Bangladesh chose to bowl vs Pakistan
After rain had washed out the opening day, a warm and sunny morning greeted the teams on the second day of the second Test in Rawalpindi. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss in what is now a four-day Test, and had no hesitation in opting to bowl first against a Pakistan side that is without Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.
“There is a little bit of moisture in the pitch that should help our seamers,” Shanto said. Bangladesh made one change to the side that won the first Test. A fit-again Taskin Ahmed replaced Shoriful Islam, who is out with a groin niggle.
“We would have also bowled first, as the pitch has been under the covers,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said. “There is a little bit more grass coverage on this pitch.”
Pakistan, who had already left out Afridi from their XII, “rested” Naseem as well. Legspinner Abrar Ahmed and left-arm seamer Mir Hamza replaced them. With six Tests under his belt, Abrar is the most experienced of Pakistan’s frontline bowlers.
Bangladesh lead the two-match series 1-0 after registering their first Test win over Pakistan in the previous game. A win or a draw here will give them a rare series win away from home.
Pakistan: 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Shan Masood (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Salman Ali Agha, 8 Abrar Ahmed, 9 Mir Hamza, 10 Mohammad Ali, 11 Khurram Shahzad
Bangladesh: 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Zakir Hasan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Mominul Haque, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Litton Das (wk), 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Nahid Rana
Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
