Nayeem sends back Ibrahim after lead crosses 300

Sports Desk: Ibrahim Zadran and Asghar Afghan put Afghanistan in complete control of the Chattogram Test with a 136-run fourth-wicket stand after they had been reduced to 28 for 3 in their second innings on the third day.

Afghanistan: 342 & 180/6 * (67.2 ov)
Bangladesh: 205

Ibrahim Zadran and Asghar Afghan put Afghanistan in complete control of the Chattogram Test with a 136-run fourth-wicket stand after they had been reduced to 28 for 3 in their second innings on the third day.

At the tea break, Ibrahim was unbeaten on 82, but Afghan fell soon after getting to 50, making it back-to-back half-centuries for the former captain in the match.

Afghanistan are now on 156 for 4, swelling their lead to 293 with seven sessions remaining, which means Bangladesh have very little say in the proceedings of the Test.

Ibrahim and Afghan had to be careful on a pitch that offered good turn and kept low, but they remained diligent throughout their partnership. There was the odd big appeal or a chance that popped towards the close-in fielders, but Bangladesh couldn't break through as the game went away from them.

Ibrahim, who comes down from an upright stance to go down and encounter spin and low bounce, showed good judgment all afternoon. He struck his four sixes in three parts of the ground - wide long-off, straight and wide long-on - as well as finding his six fours through the covers, backward point and midwicket.

Afghan struck both his sixes with the slog-sweep over midwicket, apart from finding four boundaries with the cut, a drive, and a couple of sweeps that he kept down. He fell trying to flick Taijul Islam after scoring 50 off 108 balls, which broke the stand that lasted 36.2 overs.

On either side of Afghan's dismissal, however, Shadman Islam dropped Ibrahim twice, on 65 and 66, at short-leg. There were a few other half-chances, but luck wasn't on Bangladesh's side.

The day began with Bangladesh, who were on 194 for 8, losing their last two wickets in the first 15 minutes with Rashid Khan completing his second five-wicket haul in Tests. Mohammad Nabi, who picked the first wicket of the morning, finished with three while Yamin Ahmadzai and Qais Ahmed took one each. Bangladesh were bowled out for 205, 137 runs in arrears.

Shakib Al Hasan responded with two wickets in the first over of Afghanistan's second innings, removing Ihsanullah and Rahmat Shah, the first innings centurion, off consecutive deliveries. Nayeem Hasan then had Hashmatullah Shahidi caught at slip, for the second time in the game, giving Bangladesh some hope, but that didn't last long.

 

risingbd/Dhaka/Sept 7, 2019/Mukul