Bangladesh recovered from a nervy start to reach 101 for 2 at lunch on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on 8 May, with captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque sharing an unbeaten 70-run third-wicket partnership to rescue their side after the top order crumbled.
Having lost the toss and been sent in to bat, Bangladesh found themselves in early trouble when both openers departed with just 31 runs on the board. Mahmudul Hasan Joy had been handed a lifeline in the fifth over when Salman Ali Agha grassed a regulation catch at second slip off Shaheen Shah Afridi with Joy on 4, having begun the innings with a stylish flick for four off the very first delivery. He could not make the reprieve count, however, and was caught behind off Shaheen for 8 an over later.
Shadman Islam fared little better. The left-hander spent 29 balls at the crease without ever appearing settled, and his innings came to an end in the 10th over when he edged a leg-middle delivery from Hasan Ali to slip, where Salman this time held on comfortably for a catch of 13.
What followed was a masterclass in composed, intelligent Test batting. Shanto and Mominul came together with Bangladesh in a precarious position and proceeded to dismantle Pakistan’s bowling attack with a blend of classical technique and positive intent that gave the hosts a genuine platform heading into the afternoon session.
Mominul, batting at number three, was the picture of orthodoxy. His unbeaten 31 from 57 balls was built on the purest fundamentals of red-ball cricket, with four boundaries struck through cover drives, straight drives and elegant square cuts that underlined why he remains one of Bangladesh’s most dependable Test batters when in form.
Shanto, meanwhile, took a more assertive approach. The Bangladesh captain walked off unbeaten on 39 from 50 balls, having disrupted the Pakistani pacers’ line and length with purposeful strokeplay throughout. He greeted Mohammad Abbas with a trademark straight drive for his first boundary of the innings, later played an authoritative on-drive off Shaheen and added a four and a six from pull shots that signalled his intent from the outset.
Together, the pair handled the new ball with a calm assurance that belied the pressure of the situation, taking Bangladesh from 31 for 2 to a far more respectable 101 for 2 across 26 overs of opening-session cricket.
