RAWALPINDI,SEP 3 /DNA/ : Pakistan on Tuesday are hoping to avoid a whitewash as Bangladesh look set to secure their first-ever Test series triumph over Pakistan winning the second Test being played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The guests continued their innings from 42-0 on the fifth and the last day today after the rain ended the play early on Monday during their chase of Pakistan’s 185-run target.
With skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (34*) and Mominul Haque (20*) on the crease — after openers Zakir Hasan (40) and Shadman Islam (24) fell to Mir Hamza and Khurram Shahzad respectively — the score is at 123-2 with Bangladesh needing 62 runs to win the second Test and secure a historic series win as they won the first match by 10 wickets — their first-ever Test win against Pakistan.
A day earlier, the visitors bowled out Pakistan for 172 after pacers Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana wreaked havoc, picking five and four wickets, respectively.
The hosts started the day on 9/2 and had a decent start courtesy of Saim Ayub and skipper Shan Masood, adding 38 runs.
Ayub was the first man to depart as Taskin Ahmed took his wicket. He made 20 runs off 35 balls.
Rizwan made 43 runs off 73 balls which included five fours. Meanwhile, Abrar Ahmed departed after facing 12 balls for his two.
Mahmud dismissed Mir Hamza (4) to wrap up Pakistan’s innings on 172.
Salman added vital runs for Pakistan and remained unbeaten on 47.
Mahmud registered his first fifer in Test cricket, becoming the first Bangladesh pacer to take this many wickets in an innings in Pakistan.
Before that, Responding to Pakistan’s first innings 274, Bangladesh were reduced to 26-6 and in danger of following on amid fiery fast bowling in the morning but Litton Das hit a defiant 138 and Mehidy Hasan Miraz scored 78 runs as the tourists recovered from a precarious position to post 262 all out after Shahzad bagged six wickets on the third day of the second test.
