Sports Desk:

Opener Saim Ayub and skipper Shan Masood helped Pakistan recover and dominate the first session after pacer Taskin Ahmed dealt an early blow on Day 2 of their second and last Test in Rawalpindi Saturday.

At lunch, Pakistan reached 99 for the loss of one wicket with Masood remaining unbeaten on 53 while Ayub is not out on 43.

Bangladesh pacers Taskin, Nahid Rana, and Hasan Mahmud made things tough for the hosts with early swing and bounce. Taskin managed to get an early breakthrough when he clean-bowled Abdullah Shafique for a duck in the very first over, but the Pakistan batters Ayub and Masood have since been able to regroup slowly and are now just one run shy of completing a 100-run second-wicket stand.

Taskin removes Shafique to give Tigers early breakthrough

Taskin Ahmed removed opener Abdullah Shafique in the very first over to help Bangladesh get an early breakthrough on Day 2 of their second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi Saturday.

Taskin, who replaced injured Shoriful Islam for the game, set Shafique up brilliantly by having the ball swing away from the right-hander for the first five deliveries before pitching the final one on a good length that nipped back in to dismantle the stumps.

Shafique walked back without troubling the scorers.

Shoriful injury update: Left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam, who played a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s 10-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first Test in Rawalpindi last week, has been left out for the second game today due to a groin strain. He complained of discomfort in the groin area after the first match and subsequent tests confirmed the injury. “Shoriful underwent an MRI following the first Test and the results show a Grade 1 left adductor strain. Recovery usually takes around 10 days in such cases and he has started his rehab,” National Team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan was quoted as saying in a press release by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

Bangladesh opt to bowl in 2nd Test against Pakistan

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field first on the second day of the series-deciding second and final Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi saturday.

The first day of the Test was called off without toss due to persistent rain. However, playing conditions have been altered in order to make up for the lost overs on Day 1, with two extended sessions Saturday, each of two hours and 15 minutes. A minimum of 98 overs will be bowled for the day with an additional 30 minutes given to complete the overs.

Bangladesh made one change to the playing eleven that featured in their historic 10-wicket victory in the first Test as pacer Taskin Ahmed comes in to replace unfit Shoriful Islam.

Pakistan, meanwhile, made two changes for the game with legspinner Abrar Ahmed and left-arm pacer Mir Hamza replacing pace duo of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. Afridi was allowed to sit out this game to be with his new born son and family.

PLAYING XIs:

Bangladesh: 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 4 Mominul Islam, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Shakib Al Hasan, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Nahid Rana

Pakistan: 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Shan Masood (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Salman Ali Agha, 8 Abrar Ahmed 9 Mir Hamza, 10 Mohammad Ali, 11 Khurram Shahzad, 12 Naseem Shah