On the opening day of the first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the hosts ended at 158/4 after 41 overs. Pakistan managed to recover after a shaky start, thanks to key performances from Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan.
After being put into bat, Pakistan struggled against Bangladesh’s pace attack early on, losing Abdullah Shafique (2), captain Shan Masood (6), and Babar Azam (0) within the first 10 overs. Despite these setbacks, the home side bounced back with a crucial 98-run partnership between Saim Ayub and Saud Shakeel.
Saim Ayub reached his maiden Test fifty, scoring 56 off 98 balls, which included four boundaries and a six. Saud Shakeel remained unbeaten on 57* off 92 balls, while Mohammad Rizwan provided valuable support, finishing the day on 24* off 31 balls. For Bangladesh, Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud each took two wickets.
The match saw a delayed start due to a wet outfield caused by rain, but play eventually got underway. Pakistan opted for an all-pace attack, featuring Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shehzad, and Mohammad Ali.
Playing XIs:
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Ali, Khurram Shehzad.
Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana.
This Test series is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25, with both Pakistan and Bangladesh aiming to strengthen their positions on the WTC points table. Historically, Pakistan has dominated the Test matches against Bangladesh, winning 12 out of the 13 matches played between the two sides, with one match ending in a draw.
