Mehidy’s 5 wickets give Bangladesh 2nd Test edge over Pakistan

Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz grabbed five wickets to help Bangladesh skittle Pakistan for 274 on the second day of the second Test in Rawalpindi on Saturday.

The 26-year-old recorded his 10th five-wicket haul in Tests to cap a good day for the tourists, who are looking to win only their third away series.

Bangladesh finished the day on 10-0 despite opener Shadman Islam being dropped by Saud Shakeel off Mir Hamza on the first ball of the innings.

But it was Bangladesh’s bowlers who steered them to a strong position.

Mehidy dismissed Pakistan captain Shan Masood for 57 and opener Saim Ayub for 58 after the home team had been well-placed on 99-1 at lunch.

He produced match-turning figures of 4-21 in Bangladesh’s 10-wicket win in the first Test a week ago and snared Khurram Shahzad for 12 and then Mohammad Ali and Abrar Ahmed to end the innings with 5-61.

Mehidy was ably assisted by fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, who took 3-57.

Salman Agha, dropped on nought by Zakir Hasan off Shakib Al Hasan, was Taskin’s third wicket after scoring 54 with three boundaries and two sixes.

Bangladesh’s 10-wicket win in the first Test last Sunday, also in Rawalpindi, was their first over Pakistan in 14 attempts.

Desperate for a win to level the two-match series, Pakistan started well but lost wickets at regular intervals to slump from a relatively strong 107-1 on a greenish but slow Rawalpindi pitch.

Taskin bowled first Test centurion Saud Shakeel for 16, the left-hander having already survived a dropped catch by Mehidy off Nahid Rana on one.

Babar Azam fell leg-before to spinner Shakib Al Hasan for 31, having now gone 15 Test innings without a half-century.

The first day’s play on Friday was washed out due to rain but Pakistan shone with solid batting in the first session.

Masood, under pressure after scores of six and 14 in the first Test, hit two boundaries before he fell leg-before to Mehidy in the third over after the lunch break.

Fellow left-hander Ayub was more aggressive, hitting two sixes and four boundaries before he was stumped by wicketkeeper Liton Das off Mehidy.

Taskin, brought in for the unfit Shoriful Islam as Bangladesh’s only change, bowled Abdullah Shafique for nought off the sixth ball of the match.

Pakistan made two changes from the first Test, resting spearheads Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah to bring in pace bowler Mir Hamza and spinner Abrar Ahmed.

The two-match series is part of the World Test Championship, with Pakistan now ranked eighth and Bangladesh seventh in the nine-team table.