Resolute batting from Afghanistan batsmen Rahmat Shah and Asghar Afghan keep Bangladesh in check as Afghanistan score 271/5 after day one of solitary Test match at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram yesterday (Thursday).
After opting to bat, Afghanistan finished on 271 for 5 against an all-spin attack. Having lost two early wickets in Taijul Islam’s attacks, which made Taijul the fastest Bangladeshi bowler to grab 100 Test wickets, Afghanistan recovered well through Rahmat Shah and Asghar Afghan’s 120-run partnership. Rahmat became the first Afghanistan batsman to score a Test ton. Later, Afghan and Asfar Zazai added 74 in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand to finish the day.
After winning the toss on Day 1, youngest ever Afghan skipper Rashid Khan opted to bat first. In a surprising turn of events, Bangladesh decided not to field any pacers in the starting eleven and went with all spin attack, a decision which now raises lot of eyebrows. However, in the first session before launch, Tigers dominated over the Afghans. Off spinner Taijul Islam became the fastest Bangladeshi bowler to take 100 Test wickets, when he bowled Ihsanullah (9) with a peach of a delivery, leaving Afghanistan at 19/1. Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran added 29 runs in the second wicket stand and were looking forward to building the innings slowly. But it was Taijul who scalped another wicket to break the partnership by removing Ibrahim (21).
Then just before the launch, skipper Shakib brought in Mahmudullah Riyad, who came to bowl in international cricket after a long break, removed Hasmatullah Shahidi (14), a ball angled into the left-handed Hasmatullah and took the edge through to Soumya Sarkar at first slip, leaving Afghanistan at 77/3. However, it was after lunch when Afghanistan started to rebuild their innings. Batsman Asghar Afghan and Rahmat Shah’s resolute batting was frustrating Bangladeshi spinners.
Both Rahmat and Ashghar were nearing personal landmarks as Tea was called on. Rahmat was three short of his ton, remaining unbeaten on 97 while Asghar was on 48 at Tea. After Tea they both reached those landmarks. Rahmat Shah became the first Afghanistan batsman to score a Test century. However, spinner Nayeem Hassan’s two wickets in quick succession brought Bangladesh back into the match.
He first got rid of Rahmat Shah just after he hit Nayeem for four to bring up his century. Before departing, he played a scintillating 187-ball 102. Then he ousted Mohammad Nabi by rattling his stumps in the same over, leaving Afghanistan at 197/5. In the latter stages of the day, Asghar and Afsar Zazai made sure that Afghanistan finish strongly. Their 74-run alliance for the sixth wicket stand took their team’s total to 271. Asghar and Afsar were unbeaten on 88 and 35 respectively. Asghar however, rode his luck quite a few times during the course of his innings.