Shakib's six set to be in vain
Mushfiqur Rahim survives a late lbw appeal but will have to bat for much of tomorrow if Bangladesh are to avoid a 2-0 series defeat
Pakistan were closing in on game and series victory in the second Test at Mirpur, despite the heroics of Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.
Shakib, who scored 144 in a first-innings total of 338, took the key wicket of Misbah-ul-Haq this morning, when the captain was looking good on 70, and cleaned up the tail in the afternoon session to finish with 6-82.
Adnan Akmal was the last man to go, for 53, as Pakistan were bowled out for 470 – a first-innings lead of 132.
Bangladesh were then reduced to 114 for five by stumps – trailing by 18 – with much resting on the shoulders of Nasir Hossain and captain Mushfiqur Rahim.
The tourists, who won the first match by 184 runs, should complete a 2-0 triumph tomorrow in their last action before facing England at Dubai from January 17 in the first Test of three.
Resuming on 292 for three this morning, Pakistan endured an early setback as Younus Khan had added just one run to his overnight total when he was caught behind for 49 off left-arm spinner Elias Sunny.
Misbah, who was dropped on 50 by Robiul Islam at mid-on, put on 66 with Asad Shafiq before his 123-ball innings, which included 11 fours, came to an end when he top-edged a ball from Shakib to Mahmudullah at short fine-leg.
Pakistan had advanced to 386 for five by lunch, but suffered another blow at the start of the afternoon session when Robiul trapped Shafiq in front without addition to his interval score of 42.
Soon after Sunny had spilled Adnan on 26 running back from short midwicket, Abdur Rehman became Shakib’s third victim when he top-edged to Mahmudullah at wide slip for a brisk 24, which included five boundaries.
Shakib continued to trouble the tourists, Umar Gul top-edging an attempted big hit to Sunny at mid-on. Three balls later Saeed Ajmal was bowled between bat and pad for nought, trying to sweep.
Shakib finished things off in his next over, Adnan stumped by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur at the second attempt as the last four wickets cost 40 runs.
That left Bangladesh 20 minutes to face before tea and Gul snared two wickets in two balls to reduce the hosts to 24 for two at the break. The paceman first lured Tamim Iqbal, on 21, into a top edge, which looped via his helmet to Misbah at first slip, and had Shahriar Nafees lbw.
In Gul’s next over Nazimuddin defended the hat-trick delivery but, after tea, he was bowled by Rehman’s skidding ball.
Mahmudullah played himself in but, on 32, chased Aizaz Cheema’s delivery outside off stump only to find Rehman at deep point.
Shakib could not repeat his first-innings heroics, steering Cheema to gully where Azhar Ali took an excellent diving catch. Nasir had 30 at stumps and Mushfiqur seven.
