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MIRPUR: Bangladesh recovered from an early collapse to reach 101-2 at lunch on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan in Mirpur on Thursday after skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque steadied the innings with an unbeaten partnership.
Pakistan, who elected to field first after winning the toss, made an early breakthrough by reducing Bangladesh to 31-2 inside 11 overs. However, the hosts bounced back through a composed stand between captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and experienced batter Mominul Haque.
At the end of the opening session, Shanto remained unbeaten on 39 off 50 balls, hitting four boundaries and a six, while Mominul Haque was batting on 31 from 57 deliveries with four fours to his name. The pair added 70 runs for the third wicket in 15.5 overs to stabilize the innings after the early setbacks.
Bangladesh scored at a healthy run rate of 3.88 per over during the session, with the batters taking advantage of loose deliveries after Pakistan’s fast bowlers failed to maintain early pressure consistently.
Shadman Islam was the first batter dismissed after scoring 13 runs from 30 balls before Bangladesh slipped to 31-2. Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to make further inroads as the pitch appeared to ease out under sunny conditions in Mirpur.
Spinner Noman Ali and all-rounder Salman Ali Agha were introduced during the latter part of the session in an attempt to break the growing partnership. Salman conceded 17 runs in his three overs, while Noman gave away five runs in his only over before lunch.
Pakistan entered the series hoping to improve their recent Test performances in Asian conditions. Captain Shan Masood had earlier said the Mirpur surface appeared to offer assistance to pacers initially, although conditions were expected to become more batting-friendly later in the day.
The two-match Test series is crucial for both teams in the ICC World Test Championship standings, with Bangladesh aiming to capitalize on home conditions while Pakistan seek an important away-series victory.
