Bangladesh spinners leave Afghanistan toiling in one-off Test

Bangladesh have reduced Afghanistan to 77 for 3 at lunch on the first day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Chattogram.

Ariful Islam Roneybdnews24.com
Published : 5 Sept 2019, 04:37 AM
Updated : 5 Sept 2019, 07:48 AM

Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam pegged the visitors back with two wickets after a solid start by the Afghans before Mahmudullah struck just minutes before the interval.

Taijul, who opened the all-spin bowling attack for the Tigers, became the fastest Bangladeshi to 100 wickets in Test cricket with the scalp of Ihsanullah for 9 before removing Ibrahim Zadran (21 off 69).

He is now the second highest wicket-taker in Tests for Bangladesh.

Earlier, Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first.

Bangladesh are playing without a recognised seamer on a wicket that is expected to favour the spinners with the wicket showing cracks even before a ball is bowled.

Captain Shakib Al Hasan leads a four-pronged spin attack with the likes of Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain and Moninul Hoque making up the auxiliary options.

The Afghans have mirrored the Tigers’ spin-heavy approach with four specialist spinners of their own led by skipper Rashid Khan and the experienced Mohammed Nabi.

Bangladesh (Playing XI): Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Shakib Al Hasan(c), Mahmudullah, Liton Das, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan

Afghanistan (Playing XI): Ihsanullah Janat, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Afsar Zazai(w), Rashid Khan(c), Yamin Ahmadzai, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan