Shadman, Mushfiqur, & Litton Bring Bangladesh Closer Exciting Third Day
On a sizzling day of the Rawalpindi Test, Bangladesh’s batters displayed amazing toughness & skill to chip away at their deficit against Pakistan. Despite facing tough conditions & a jumbled schedule, Shadman Islam, Mushfiqur Rahim, & Litton Das were key in reigniting Bangladesh’s hopes.
Tough Conditions & Early Resistance
The day in the Test started with a blistering 35-degree heat. On top of that, the sessions were split unevenly for Friday prayers. But even with all this, the top-order batters of Bangladesh stood strong against the fierce bowling from Pakistan.
Bangladesh kicked things off at 27 without loss. The morning session proved to be a trial of patience & skill. Pakistan’s bowlers, Mohammad Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi, were relentless. They found movement and caused trouble constantly. Sadly, Zakir Hasan fell early to Naseem Shah, and runs were hard to come by. Just 12 runs were scored in 12 overs before they took their first drinks break.
Shadman Islam’s Strong Start
In this tough setting, Shadman Islam became a shining star. His score of 93 lasted more than five hours and was super important for Bangladesh’s comeback. He remained calm even when dealing with tricky short balls. He hit a boundary off Shaheen to get his fifty and kept holding the innings together with solid skills & patience.
His partnership with Mominul Haque brought in 94 runs for the third wicket showing much-needed stability for Bangladesh. But right after lunch, that partnership ended when Mominul got out to Shahzad’s delivery which sneaked through his bat-pad gap.
Mushfiqur & Litton Take Control
At a crucial moment in the innings, Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das stepped up big time. Their partnership was key for Bangladesh’s late push. Litton arrived after Shadman got out and after Shakib Al Hasan left early; together they added 98 runs without getting out—lifting everyone’s spirits.
One memorable part of their partnership was when Litton went all out against Naseem Shah. He had an incredible over where he scored 18 runs! Litton smashed a one-bounce four along with two more fours & a huge six, racing past his half-century and putting pressure back on Pakistan’s bowlers.
Pakistan’s Bowling Efforts
Even with Bangladesh fighting back hard, Pakistan still had a hefty lead of 132 runs at the end of the day. After starting well, their bowlers met tough challenges as Bangladesh’s scoring sped up. Naseem Shah struggled later on as he gave away 62 runs in just eight overs a sign of pressure building.
Throughout most of the day, Pakistan’s bowlers had to work really hard for their wickets. Conditions shifted as it got easier to bat once the first new ball lost its shine testing their focus & persistence. Bangladesh moved their scoring rate up from 2.97 in the first session to an impressive 5.08 in the third session showing an awesome counterattack strategy.
Looking Forward
As day four gets closer, Pakistan leads but must tackle the challenge of getting rid of Bangladesh’s lower order batsmen. The grit shown by Shadman, Mushfiqur, & Litton has set up an interesting match ahead; Bangladesh is getting closer to scoring near Pakistan’s first innings total.
The third day of the Rawalpindi Test highlighted Bangladesh’s fighting spirit & clever batting under pressure. With standout performances from Shadman, Mushfiqur, and Litton, this encounter remains on edge teasing an exciting finish as both teams head into the last part of this thrilling contest.