Bad light saves Bangladesh

Bangladesh survived the fourth day of the ongoing Dhaka Test against Pakistan as bad light stopped the play at 4:30 PM when the Tigers were trembling at 76-7.

Shakib Al Hasan was unbeaten on 23 runs, and Taijul Islam was yet to open his account. Pakistan off-spinner Sajid Khan took six wickets.

The match has been heavily affected by rain since the first day. The play could not proceed after the Tea break on day one, and on the second day, only 38 balls could be bowled before the entire third day was washed out.

Pakistan declared their first innings at 300-4, 70 minutes after Lunch, which gave Bangladesh the chance to bat throughout the remaining part of the match to end it in a stalemate.

But reckless batting from the Bangladesh batsmen opened the chance of Pakistan’s victory as Bangladesh are yet to save the follow-on and have only three wickets in hand.

Mahmudul Hasan was handed Test cap in this match and finally, he got the chance to bat, but he threw that away with a pathetic-looking shot. He came down the track against Sajid but tried to play defensively, and the ball brushed his bat’s outside edge and landed on the palms of Babar Azam at slip.

Shadman Islam was the next one to go. He popped the ball to the point fielder for an easy catch before Mominul Haque’s suicidal run out made the situation even more grave before the Tea break.

Bangladesh had a chance to settle things down and pass a message to the batsmen to stay put on the crease against the spinners. But the Bangladesh batsmen could not use that to their advantage. They kept trying to play aggressive-looking shots and ended up giving away their wickets.

The Bangladesh batsmen struggled to negotiate off-spinner Sajid and left-arm spinner Nauman Ali on a surface that they know like the back of their palms.

Trying to play the sweep, Mushfiqur Rahim just spooned the ball to mid-wicket where Fawad Alam took a simple catch.

Liton Das hit the ball straight to Sajid for a return catch, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz went for a duck.

Wickets kept falling, and there was one more hour to go on papers, but the lights were fading. And finally, the umpires called it a day at 4:30 PM.

The fifth and final day’s play is scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM, and if Pakistan can manage to pick the remaining three wickets before Bangladesh add 25 more runs, they could enforce the follow-on.

“The plan is to take those three wickets as soon as possible and put them in to bat again, and then try to win by bowling them out again,” Sajid said.

That will give them a chance to bowl out Bangladesh for the second time to win this Test match.

On the other hand, Bangladesh must save follow on first, and then kill as much as time possible before Pakistan come on to bat again. The Tigers might pray for another spell of rain as well.