Wickets in first hour vital: Miraz

All-rounder Mehedi Hasan Miraz said that a fiery first hour from the Bangladesh bowlers on Day 5 of the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi can create an unlikely opening for the Tigers in a contest that seemingly is heading towards a draw. 

Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam reaped the rewards of a sizzling spell during the last hour of play when he dismissed Pakistan opener Saim Ayub (1) and had the duo of Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood guessing as the hosts finished the day at 27 for one, still trailing by 94 runs after bundling out the Tigers for 565 earlier.

From the other end, Hasan Mahmud provided adept support with strict line and lengths which boosted confidence in the Tigers' camp to make use of the morning session which should indicate if the Test will see a result other than a draw.

"Our bowlers will have a great chance in the first hour. If we bowl well in the first hour, we will be in a good position," Miraz told reporters after the day's play.

"We have a great chance tomorrow. If we get a few wickets in the first hour, we will get a chance to win. The bowlers need to bowl in good areas. I was fielding at slips and it felt really good to see the way they bowled in the last hour."

Throughout the four days, it has been a challenge for the bowlers to stamp their authority on a Rawalpindi wicket which has maintained the tradition of being a batters' paradise. While pacers have fared better than spinners at the venue, spinners will have a role to play, largely in providing breathers to the quicks in between spells. They can also hope to make use of the turn the Day 5 pitch may provide.

Miraz attested to the visibility of cracks on the surface and will look to do the job with the ball after an impressive 77 with the bat.

"The wicket looks good right now. There are a few cracks and there is a little bit of spin as well," Miraz said.

Earlier, Mushfiqur Rahim stood tall with the bat after the Tigers were reduced to 218 for five on Day 3. The 37-year-old starred with a 191-run knock but fell short of his fourth double century. He stitched a 114-run stand with Liton Das (56) and set a Bangladesh record with a 196-run seventh-wicket stand with Miraz to propel the Tigers to 565.

"We're really happy because we've scored 500 runs after a long time. We had a good partnership. The credit goes to him [Mushfiqur]. He kept supporting me and told me to keep going as it was an excellent wicket," Miraz said.