Bangladesh reached 93-2 at lunch on day four of the Dhaka Test after Mominul Haque and Najmul Hossain Shanto repaired the innings against Pakistan.
The hosts started the day with a 34-run lead after bowling Pakistan out for 386 in reply to their first-innings 413. However, Bangladesh lost both openers inside the first 11 overs and slipped to 23-2.
Mahmudul Hasan Joy fell first. Mohammad Abbas trapped the opener lbw in the sixth over. Joy reviewed the decision, but ball tracking showed the delivery clipping leg stump on umpire’s call. He scored five from 26 balls.
Hasan Ali removed Shadman Islam five overs later. The left-hander pushed at a delivery outside off stump and edged the ball to Saud Shakeel at gully after scoring 10.
Pakistan created another chance early in the session when Joy nearly ran himself out after confusion with Shadman over a second run. Mohammad Rizwan’s underarm throw failed to reach the stumps in time.
Mominul and Shanto then settled Bangladesh with a disciplined partnership. The pair avoided unnecessary risks on a surface that continued to offer uneven bounce and movement for the seamers.
Pakistan burned a review against Mominul when Shan Masood challenged an lbw decision off Abbas. Ball tracking showed the delivery missing leg stump.
Rizwan later dropped Mominul off Salman Ali Agha when the batter edged a defensive push behind. Mominul stood on 15 at the time.
Pakistan missed two more chances in Abbas’s spell before lunch. A thick outside edge from Mominul flew wide of gully, while Imam-ul-Haq failed to gather a difficult chance after Shanto called for a risky single.
At lunch, Mominul batted on 33 while Shanto remained unbeaten on 35. Bangladesh moved to a 120-run lead with eight wickets in hand.
