Only a miracle can stop Pakistan from winning the first Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram. At the close of the penultimate day's play, the visitors were 109/0 in 33 overs. Babar Azam & Co need another 93 runs on the final day. And both the openers, Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique, unbeaten on 56 and 53 runs respectively looked menacing. Earlier, Shahin Afridi took five wickets to dismiss Bangladesh for 157 in the second innings. Catch Day 4 highlights and cricket scores of the first BAN vs PAK Test match:
16:13 PM IST: Stumps
Taijul Islam with his 16th over and one single. 33 runs in the last ten overs. Pakistan need 93 runs. Both the openers Abid Ali (56) and Abdullah Shafique (56) are unbeaten. PAK - 109/0 (33)
15:51 PM IST: Fifty For Abid
Taijul Islam returns. Abid Ali takes a three off the fifth ball and fifty, in 91 balls. Pakistan need 106 runs. PAK - 96/0 (29)
15:34 PM IST: Drinks
Abid Ali (46) and Abdullah Shafique (39) in control. 41 runs in the last over. Pakistan need 117 runs. 25 overs remaining in the day. PAK - 85/0 (26)
15:26 PM IST: Pakistan inch closer
Pakistan are slowly inching towards victory. Abdullah Shafique (37*) and Abid Ali (45*) are batting. Pakistan 82/0
15:00 PM IST: Half-century for Pakistan
50 up for Pakistan. Abid Ali (33*) and Abdullah Shafique (24*) are batting in the middle. Pakistan 57/0, need 145 more.
Tea has been announced. Pakistan 38/0.
14:05 PM IST: Update on Yasir Ali
Bangladesh batsman Yasir Ali underwent a CT Scan after he was hit on the head against Pakistan in the second innings today while batting and left the field immediately. The scan revealed nothing and Yasir is medically stable. He will be under observation for 24 hours.
14:03 PM IST: Steady start
Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique have given Pakistan a steady start. Pakistan 30/0, need 172 more runs to win.
13:15 PM IST: Pakistan need 202 runs to win
That's it. Bangladesh have been bowled out for 157 with Sajid Khan taking the final wicket of Taijul Islam. Yasir Ali, who was retired hurt didn't come out to bat. Pakistan need 202 runs to win in four and half sessions.
13:09 PM IST: 5-star Afridi
Fifer for Shaheen Afridi. Pakistan are on top of this Test match. After Liton Das, Afridi dismisses, Abu Jayed, caught behind by Mohammad Rizwan for a duck. Bangladesh 157/9
13:04 PM IST: Liton departs
Shaheen Afridi gets his man, traps Liton Das LBW for 59. Huge huge wicket for Pakistan. Bangladesh 157/8, lead by 201 runs
12:45 PM IST: 50 for Liton
Fifty for Liton Das. He now had a 100 and a 50 in the same Test match. Must be going into history books. What a game Liton is having! Bangladesh 148/6, lead by 197 runs.
11:35 AM IST: Pakistan strike
Second wicket for Pakistan in the session. Mehidy Hasan is out, LBW off Sajid Khan for 11. Nurul Hasan comes into bat. Liton Das main hope for the hosts. Bangladesh 115/6. Lunch has been taken
11:14 AM IST: Liton leads the way
Liton Das has taken the mantle from Yasir Ali who left the ground retired hurt. The right-hander, a centurion in the first innings, is continuing the momentum he has been carrying in this Test. Simply wonderful to watch. Bangladesh 106/5
10:38 AM IST: Yasir hit on helmet
Bad news for Bangladesh as Yasir Ali is back in the dressing room after being hit on the helmet by a bouncer that stayed low. The Yasir Ali-Liton Das partnership was looking good. Mehidy Hasan is the new batsman in the crease. Hope Yasir is back soon. Bangladesh 90/5
10:15 AM IST: Yasir Ali takes charge
Yasir Ali decides to take the charge. From 49-ball 9 to 30 from 65 balls, debutant Yasir has stepped on the accelerator. Bangladesh 80/5
9:30 AM IST: Rahim departs
Disastrous start for Bangladesh. First innings saviour Mushfiqur Rahim back in the hut in the third ball of the day, clean bowled by Hasan Ali. Pakistan couldn't have asked for a better start. Bangladesh 47/5. Liton Das comes in the crease.
9:09 AM IST: Hello
Hello and welcome to the Day 4 of the Bangladesh vs Pakistan Test match. Bangladesh have been in a similar position before in the first innings and it was Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das who saved the blushes. Rahim is still in the crease while Liton is yet to bat. Can Bangladesh stage a comeback like they did a couple of days before?
The Chattogram Test has been a pacy one. For hosts Bangladesh, it has been a game of many twists and turns. When play started on Sunday, Pakistan looked in a commanding position but finally conceded the first-innings lead. By end of play, Bangladesh had blown away that small advantage by losing four top wickets cheaply.
Bangladesh may start Monday with an 83-run lead but they know with six sessions to go, they need plenty more to force a decision against a Pakistan batting line-up with lot of calibre and hunger.
Despite conceding the lead, Pakistan fought back through their pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and first-innings hero Hasan Ali. Afridi and Ali used the short ball to deadly effect.
Afridi, known for his first spell burst, got the better of Bangladesh openers Shadman Islam and Saif Hasan and then Hasan Ali sent back skipper Mominul Haque for zero. At stumps, Mushfiqur Rahim was batting on 12 and Yasir Ali on 8.
With first innings centurion Liton Das waiting in the pavilion, Bangladesh will back themselves to put a challenging total on the board and then hope that left-arm spinner Taijul Islam reproduces his 7 for 116 magic to leave Babar Azam's Pakistan bamboozled.
