Saleem bags four as Afghanistan bowl Bangladesh out for 346

Innings Bangladesh 346 (Tanzid 83, Shadman 67, Saleem 4‑82, Yamin 3‑79) vs Afghanistan

Saleem, who compiled a remarkable 6 for 140 against India in the New Chandigarh Test in June, finished the night with four wickets while Yamin Ahmadzai secured three. The final dismissal came when Ebadot Hossain misplayed his hand, sliding to a slip and ending with a duck. Nayeem Hasan produced an unbeaten 35 off sixty‑seven deliveries, claiming four fours in a performance far beyond expectations from a late entrant who had served merely as a reserve in the prior practice match.

This was only the second time in their fledgling Test history that Afghanistan’s pace attack reduced Bengal’s aggregate to the three‑hundred‑plus mark, a feat anchored by Ismat Alam’s supplementary two wickets.

On the first day, Tanzid lit the fire of the chase, blasting an 83 off seventy‑one balls with a dazzling display of eight fours and four sixes, constantly testing pace and spin. His contributions were pivotal to Bangladesh’s commanding 124‑run opening stand partnered by Shadman Islam. However, Tanzania’s momentum soured abruptly before lunch, when wicket‑keeper Ikram Alikhil intervened to stop Ismat Alam, denying Tanzid his chance at a century.

Shadman then topped the innings with a ninth‑Test half‑century of sixty runs alongside Mominul Haque, though he soon fell for 67 under Saleem’s devastating short‑pitched barrage. Momenul nearly limped to 39, while Yamin dispatched Mushfiqur Rahim with a perfect yorker. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto let Qais Ahmed slip and eventually give up twenty‑nine runs.

The three wickets falling in just eighteen balls prompted Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz to drive a comeback. Together they gathered 62 extra runs before Mehidy’s crisp inside‑edge dragged Ismat from his stance, sealing his surrender.

Undaunted, Litton sustained a half‑century, netting four fours in eighty‑nine balls. From fine leg he smashed Saleem, with Yamin extracting a smooth catch. After that, Saleem ripped away Hashan Mahmud after the bowler swiped him neatly onto his chest, rounding out the decisive overs.

Source link