Rawalpindi (Pakistan): Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and vice-captain Saud Shakeel smashed centuries as Pakistan piled up 448-6 declared to put the hosts in control of the first test against Bangladesh on Thursday.
Rizwan hit a career-best 171 not out off 239 balls and left-hander Shakeel continued his imperious form in red-ball cricket with 141 runs off 261 before Pakistan declared late on the second day.
Bangladesh openers Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan negotiated the last hour against the pace of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah as they took the visitors to a cautious 27-0 at stumps after 12 overs, still trailing by 421 runs. Shadman was unbeaten on 12 while Zakir was 11 not out.
Earlier, Bangladesh pace bowlers toiled hard on a greenish wicket which eased for batting under sunshine and saw both Rizwan and Shakeel combining in a five-hour, fifth-wicket stand of 240 runs which took the hosts from 114-4 to 354-5.
Both batters kept Bangladesh’s pace and spin at bay for almost two sessions after Pakistan had resumed its first innings on 158-4. They added 98 runs in the first session before both raised their centuries soon after lunch in another dominant session which produced 111 runs.
“Early on, the ball was doing a lot, but then they started to bowl short of length which helped us to build a strong partnership,” said Shakeel, who became the joint-fastest Pakistan batter with Saeed Ahmed to complete 1,000 test runs in 20 innings.
“Honestly I didn’t know about the record, because for me milestones do not matter and I always look for a Pakistan win.”
Bangladesh had its moments after lunch to get the breakthrough but Rizwan survived two close caught behind attempts by Litton Das against the spinners before he raised his third test century off 143 balls, and second at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, by driving left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan (1-100) to wide mid-wicket for a boundary.
Shakeel completed his third test hundred by driving off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz (1-80) for two runs in the covers and proved a perfect foil to Rizwan, who hit 11 boundaries and three sixes in his unbeaten knock.
The fast bowlers couldn’t extract the movement that saw Pakistan slipping to 16-3 on the first day, which was curtailed to 41 overs due to wet patches in the outfield. Shoriful Islam (2-77) and Hasan Mahmud (2-70) didn’t get a wicket on the second day and the third seamer, Nahid Rana, returned with unimpressive figures of 0-105 off 19 overs.
Bangladesh struck late in the second session when Shakeel, who survived a close run-out, was stumped against spinner Mehidy’s sharp turning delivery. Shakeel, who got his first boundary of the second day after completing his century, hit nine fours before he was undone by Mehidy’s brilliant ball.
Shakib had to wait until his 25th over when he had Salman Ali Agha (19) caught at point before Shaheen Shah Afridi made a quickfire 29 not out off 24 and Pakistan declared its first innings on a commanding note.
“(The wicket) looks pretty good for batting and I hope it continues to be like that,” Bangladesh batting coach David Hemp said. “Our batters need to be as positive as Pakistan were.”
Rawalpindi will also host the second and final test.
