Pakistan in control as opening day's play ends early due to bad light

The opening day's play of the second Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan has been called off prematurely due to bad light at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today. 

Pakistan, after electing to bat, have scored 161 for two in 57 overs with skipper Babar Azam unbeaten on 60 and Azhar Ali not out on 36 before stumps on Day 1. 

The play could not be continued post-tea due to bad light. However, the players of both sides had walked out to the field after tea but umpires deemed the light to be unfit to play when Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque wanted to resume the session with a pacer. According to the officials, only spinners were allowed to continue bowling in such conditions. 

If the weather and light permit, the game will begin at 9:30am tomorrow, 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled time, to make up for the time lost today. A total of 98 overs are scheduled to be bowled tomorrow.

Earlier, before lunch, Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam had removed both Pakistan openers Abid Ali (39 off 81) and Abdullah Shafique (25 off 50) after the duo had given the visitors a solid start in the first session. 

Pakistan, however, dominated the second session, scoring 83 runs in the 26 overs bowled without losing any wicket as Babar picked up his 19th Test fifty and strung together a 91-run unbeaten stand with Azhar. 

Bangladesh would need to break the ominous partnership as soon as possible tomorrow if they want to regain the momentum of the game. 

Bad light restricts play to resume post-tea

The play could not be resumed due to bad light after tea as players walked off the ground during Bangladesh and Pakistan's opening day's play of the second Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today. 

The players had come onto the field just before umpires deemed the light to be unfit for the play to continue as the players headed back to the pavilion. 

According to our reporter Mazhar Uddin from the Comm Box, Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque was going to resume with a pace bowler but umpires said only spinners were allowed to bowl in this light. A bit of a bizarre incident as we will have to wait for the play to resume. 

Things, however, don't look so good as it has been overcast since the start of the day here in Dhaka. 

The cut-off time is at 5:24pm. 

Pakistan in control as players go for tea

Pakistan are in firm control as skipper Babar Azam picked up a fifty and stitched together a solid stand with Azhar Ali before umpires signaled for tea on the opening day of their second Test against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today. 

Babar remained unbeaten on 60 off 99 deliveries while Azhar scored 36 off 112 deliveries not out as Pakistan piled up 161 for two before tea. 

Pakistan dominated the second session of the day, scoring 83 runs in the 26 overs bowled without losing a single wicket after lunch. 

Babar smashed a total of seven boundaries and a maximum while picking up his 19th fifty in the format. He strung together a 91-run unbeaten stand with Azhar for the third wicket.

Azhar, meanwhile, remained more cautious as both the batters seemed to be getting into the groove against the Tigers' spin attack that had troubled them before lunch.  

Babar, Azhar consolidate before rain stops play

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and batter Azhar Ali put on a solid partnership to help their side regain momentum against Bangladesh before rain halted play on the opening day of their second Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today.

After 44 overs, Pakistan have amassed 123 for two with Babar unbeaten on 38 and Azhar not out on 20. 

Bangladesh had gone to lunch with their tail up as Taijul Islam removed both the openers in the first session following Pakistan's solid start. However, Pakistan skipper Babar and Azhar have consolidated and steadied things post-lunch with a growing partnership.

Babar looked more fluent, playing some exquisite shots and rotating the strike to take the pressure off Pakistan. His partner, Azhar, however, survived a few close calls as he particularly struggled a bit to negotiate Taijul, who has been asking questions ever since coming on to bowl. 

The partnership between the duo of Babar and Azhar passed the 50-run mark -- 53 off 114 deliveries -- and the Tigers would hope to put an end to it and regain the momentum of the game.   

Taijul's double strike helps Tigers bounce back

Pakistan got off to a solid start but Bangladesh's left-arm spinner Taijul Islam turned the heat on the visitors as he scalped the wickets of both the openers in the first session of the two sides' second Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today. 

Pakistan scored 78 for two in 31 overs before umpires signalled for lunch on the opening day of the Test. 

Taijul gave the Tigers the first breakthrough when he had set up Abdullah Shafique. After getting the ball to shape away in the previous two deliveries with one of them inducing an outside edge off the right-hander's willow, Taijul had one go in with the angle. Shafique played for the turn, pressing forward, but the ball that held its line had found the gap between bat and pad and went on to hit the timber. 

Taijul has been the ominous one for Pakistan batters, troubling the visitors with significant purchases off the pitch. The left-armer got rewarded once again for his efforts when he had the other Pakistani opener Abid Ali (39 off 81) chop one onto his stumps. An outside off delivery kept a bit low and Abid, who tried to cut, dragged the ball back onto his stumps.  

Although premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is yet to get his first scalp in the game, the 34-year-old maintained a tight channel and had some turn and bounce to complement Taijul and keep up the pressure from the other end. 

Openers give Pakistan a solid start 

Pakistan openers continued their good form, helping the visitors get a solid start after electing to bat in their second Test against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur today. 

Both openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique, who strung together century stands in both the innings in the Chattogram Test that Pakistan won by eight wickets, negotiated the pace threat of Bangladesh with ease.

Pacer Ebadot Hossain did pose a bit of a threat, getting the cherry to swing away from the right-handers at times and nipping the oddball back in to create a few close LBW calls, but the right-armer failed to get a breakthrough.

The other pacer in Khaled Ahmed has had a modest first spell as he bowled a few wayward deliveries, rightly put away by the batters for boundaries as Pakistan scored at almost four an over till the ninth over before skipper Mominul Haque decided to introduce spinners -- Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam -- from both ends. 

Shakib and Taijul, both getting hint of turns in Mirpur, reduced the scoring rate a bit but are yet to give Bangladesh their first breakthrough as the opening stand crossed fifty-run mark.