Shadman makes statement on return

Left-handed batter Shadman Islam can claim himself lucky to be part of the opening Test against Pakistan as he hasn't been the first-choice opener of the Bangladesh Test team in recent years. 

Regular opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy sustained a Grade 1 adductor strain in the right groin while playing for Bangladesh 'A' in the opening four-day match against Pakistan Shaheens, and that saw Shadman start the first of the two-Test series against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.

However, when he finally got an opportunity to showcase his merit, Shadman made it count. He might have missed out on a well-deserved ton but managed to strike a resilient 93 off 183 balls, helping the visitors reach 316-5 at stumps on day three after Pakistan declared at 448 for six late on Day 2.

Bangladesh saw a stable opening pair in Joy and Zakir Hasan in their last five Tests between June 2023 and March 2024 and the injury of the former surely brought some anxiety in the camp before the opening Test as Shadman, who was a reserve opener in the current 16-member squad, hadn't played a Test since April 2022.

The southpaw was dropped following his poor show against South Africa in Durban where he could make only nine and zero in both innings and was unpicked in Bangladesh's next 13 Tests.

Bangladesh found their back against the door on the third day after they resumed on 27-0 as they soon lost Zakir (12) and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (16) to get reduced to 53-2.

Despite the fall of two wickets, Shadman showcased great patience, playing a composed innings from one side with his partner Mominul Haque taking charge from the other end.

Shadman's determination could be gauged from the fact that he struck his first boundary during the 24th over of the day.

The 29-year-old reached his third Test fifty in 123 balls with another boundary -- a pull at deep backward square leg off Naseem Shah.

Shadman's fifty was also a big relief for Bangladesh as ever since the historic 312-run opening stand between Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes in Khulna in 2015 -- a game in which both openers struck tons -- no Bangladeshi openers were able to score a fifty against Pakistan in the following four Tests.

The only instance when Shadman looked to be troubled by Pakistani bowlers was when he was given LBW off an Agha Salman delivery just after the lunch break, but that decision had to be reversed following a review.

However, he failed to finish on a high as he was bowled by pacer Mohammad Ali in the last ball before tea.

By the time Shadman got dismissed, he already laid a solid platform for his side and also for himself as he had all but regained his lost spot in the Test eleven.

Bangladesh now trail by 132 runs and would hope at least one of the unbeaten set batters -- Liton Das, who scored 52 off 58 deliveries, and Mushfiqur Rahim, who is on 55 off 122 deliveries -- get to the three-figure mark that Shadman had missed out on.