BD Vs Pak, 2nd Test, Day 4 - Bangladesh slipping towards yet another defeat!

Tags: Pakistan tour of Bangladesh 2011 - 12, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bangladesh vs Pakistan 2nd Test at Mirpur - Dec 17-21, 2011, Shakib Al Hasan

Published on: Dec 20, 2011

Scorecard | Commentary | Graphs

Bangladesh quite disappointingly are heading towards yet another Test defeat after they slipped to 114 for 5 by close of the fourth day's play. They have lost the key wickets of Tamim Iqbal along with first innings heroes - Shahriar Nafees and Shakib Al Hasan in just a little over a session's play.

Final Session Update
Bangladesh quite disappointingly are heading towards yet another Test defeat after they slipped to 114 for 5 by close of the fourth day's play. They have lost the key wickets of TamimIqbal along with first innings heroes - ShahriarNafees and Shakib Al Hasan in just a little over a session's play.
After conceding a 132-run first innings lead, all the Bangladeshi batsmen needed to do was to bat out time on a slow docile pitch. But it was yet another familiar collapse from Bangladesh who continue to play like minnows forever. Their second innings started with a bad decision with TamimIqbal (21) who got off to a flier was adjudged caught at slip while trying to play a hook off UmarGul in the 5th over. Replays confirmed that the ball had hit the helmet and flew to first slip. The very next ball, UmarGul trapped first innings hero ShahriarNafees on the pad to send him back for a first ball duck!
Left arm spinner Abdul Rehman gave the third blow to Bangladesh in the 16th over when he went through the defences of opener Nazimuddin with a skidding delivery. Sometime after that, Pakistan was gifted with a wicket when a well set Mahmudullah (32 from 50 balls with 5 fours and a six) went for an untimely lofted shot chasing a wide delivery from Cheema to slice it to point.
The icing on the cake for Pakistan just a few minutes before stumps was the wicket of first innings centurion Shakib Al Hasan (6) who was caught at gully by Azhar Ali off Cheema while trying to open the face and play a cute shot to thirdman. By stumps, Bangladesh got themselves into a losing position of 114 for 5 with NasirHossain on 30* (from 63 balls with 5 fours) and Skipper MushfiqurRahim (7*) as the last recognised batting pair left.
Bangladesh have 18 more runs to score if they have to avoid an innings defeat. They look just alright to avoid that but a defeat and a 0-2 whitewash looks inevitable tomorrow morning.

Afternoon Session Update

Bangladesh for the first time ever dismissed Pakistan in Test matches to restrict the latter's first innings lead to 131 runs. However, the hosts now have the task of batting well in their second innings to force a draw. For the record, Pakistan were bowled out for 470 in 154.5 overs in reply to Bangladesh's 338. Former Skipper Shakib Al Hasan took 6 for 82 bowling 40.5 overs and in the process became the first ever Bangladeshi player to score a century and also take five wickets in the same Test.
The start of the post lunch session saw Bangladesh get the wicket of AsadShafiq (42 from 101 balls with 5 fours) when he was struck on the pad by a lovely inswinger from Robiul Islam. Next man, left-handed AbdurRehman scored a 30-ball 24 before he got beautifully caught at slip by Mahmudullah after top edging a fierce cut off Shakib. UmarGul lost his patience and holed out to mid on in a lofted shot and SaeedAjmal dragged a sweep onto his stumps to give a five-wicket haul for Shakib. Meanwhile, Wicket Keeper AdnanAkmal (53 from 108 balls with 7 fours) completed a maiden Test fifty and was the last man out when he charged down the track to Shakib but only to be deceived in the air for an easy stumping.

Lunch Break Update

Pakistan went to lunch on Day 4 with a lead of 48 runs with five wickets in hand. At the close of the morning session, Pakistan have got AsadShafiq on 42* (from 93 balls with 5 fours) batting along with Wicket Keeper AdnanAkmal, who is on 7* from 16 balls. The Pakistanis collected 94 runs in the 31 overs that were bowled in the morning session at the loss of the two overnight batsmen - Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq.
While Younis Khan fell to Elias Sunny, the Pakistani Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq in an attacking mood got out to the other left arm spinner - Shakib Al Hasan. Mishab-ul-Haq looking to sweep from way outside off that too against the turn got an outside edge which lobbed up to slip in the 121st over. Misbah finished with 70 from 123 balls with 11 fours. He put up a nice 66-run stand with AsadShafiq.
Bangladesh have done well to keep the scoring rate under a check. Ideally they would like to prolong any Pakistani declaration. By taking two big wickets they certainly have made it difficult for the Pakistanis to break free. The ball has turned pretty well for the Bangladeshi left armers who did the bulk of the bowling.

Morning Session Update

It was a pleasant surprise this morning as play on Day 4 at the ShereBangla National Stadium started on time unlike the first three days! And it was a great start for Bangladesh as left arm spinner Elias Sunny bowling the second over got the big wicket of Younis Khan, who fell one run short of yet another Test fifty.

Sunny got his reward with a lovely delivery, well tossed up above the eye line and getting the ball to dip down and turn away with bounce as Younis Khan (49) opened the face in a forward defence to edge it behind to the Bangladeshi Skipper MushfiqurRahim. Pakistan are 294 for 4 at the time of writing this news piece with 20 minutes gone by on the fourth day's play. The new batsman joining Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq is the young AsadShafiq.

- BV Swagath

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