Bangladesh's left-arm paceman, Shoriful Islam, showcased his skill by taking two crucial wickets in just four balls, leaving Pakistan in a tough spot at 81-3 on a rain-affected first day of the opening Test in Rawalpindi. The 23-year-old bowler dismissed Pakistan's captain, Shan Masood, for just six runs, followed by star batsman Babar Azam for a silver duck, setting the stage for a challenging day for the home team on a pitch that favored the bowlers.
Despite the early setbacks, Pakistan managed to regroup with Saim Ayub scoring an unbeaten 42 and Saud Shakeel contributing 28 runs in a resilient partnership of 65 runs for the fourth wicket.
Bangladesh's skipper, Najmul Hossain Shanto, wasted no time in opting to bowl first after winning the toss, a decision that paid off as Pakistan found themselves struggling at 16-3. Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful's new-ball partner, struck early by dismissing Abdullah Shafique for just two runs, setting the tone for a challenging day for the Pakistani batsmen.
Shoriful continued to impress by getting Masood caught behind with a sharp delivery, a decision that was upheld after a successful review by the Bangladesh team. Despite Masood's protests, the on-field officials stood by the decision, leading to his dismissal and a jubilant celebration from the Bangladesh fielders.
In the match, Babar was unfortunately caught out by wicketkeeper Liton Das after nicking a leg-side delivery from Shoriful. This marked Babar's first duck in 14 Tests at his home ground.
Unfortunately, no play was possible before lunch due to wet outfield patches left by overnight rain, which were deemed unsafe. This resulted in 230 minutes of lost action.
Pakistan opted for an all-pace attack with four fast bowlers and no frontline spinner, while Bangladesh included three pacers and two spinners in their lineup.
This two-match series is part of the nine-team World Test Championship, with Pakistan currently ranked sixth and Bangladesh eighth in the standings.
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