Pakistan ease to innings victory in 1st Test

Pakistan wrapped up an innings victory in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong after bowling their hosts out to 228 all out on day four in Chittagong.

Mohammed Nazimuddin stood firm at the top of the knock, scoring 78 on debut, while Shakib Al Hasan weighed in with 51 before Mushfiqur Rahim tucked into a solid 49. The visiting spinners, however, struck with enough regularity to have the series opener to the two-match affair unable to reach a fifth day.

Resuming from their overnight score of 134 for 4, Shakib Al Hasan and Nazimuddin carried on defiantly frustrating the Men In Green bowlers. The opener smashed left-arm spinner, Abdur Rehman through the point region in the first over of the day before Shakib got into the attack to kick start his innings with a four off Umar Gul.

The left-hander beat his partner to the half-century mark – the first for a Bangladeshi in the match. Nazimuddin shortly followed with his maiden Test fifty, working the ball to the midwicket region. However, just as it looked that they would keep their momentum, Rehman struck to dismiss Shakib for 51.

The left-armer took full use of the rough and caught the player lbw after Shakib failed to connect to a delivery which hit him plumb in front. This effectively also brought the Pakistani spinner his 50th Test career scalp.

The skipper, Mushfiqur Rahim entered the frame and started off with a back foot cut for a boundary. His partner also stretched his muscle to an over pitched ball off Rehman, which resulted in a maximum outcome.

Saeed Ajmal also endured a similar fate in the next over with the Bangladeshi captain hitting a mid-wicket four before Nazimuddin climbing into the spinner to hit another six. With attacking intent, the hosts finally managed to reach to the 200-run mark however, their fun was cut short by Rehman after Nazimuddin failed to execute an inside out shot and departed for 78.

Mahmudullah joined his skipper but his stay at the crease lasted just 8 balls after he fell off Ajmal’s terrific doosra which deserted his forward lunge to clip the off-stump. With the innings in tatters, the hosts managed to deal with the bowling attack to end the first session without any more damage.

After lunch Abdur Rehman get the wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim, who was one run short of his half-century. Mushfiqur was on the back foot, had a huge back lift and the ball slides on before the bat comes down, hit low in front of middle.

A Shahadat Hossain boundary took the deficit below 200 and he found the ropes twice more before spooning a leading edge to Umar Gul at cover off Aizaz Cheema eight deliveries after the new ball was taken.

This ends Bangladesh’s symbolic resistance at 275 with last man Rubel Hossain not coming out to bat due to a shoulder injury. By virtue of this win, Pakistan have taken a 1-0 lead in the two match series

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