After bundling out Afghanistan for 146 in their first innings, Bangladesh reached 134 for one in their second innings at the end of day two in the Dhaka Test, reports UNB.
Thus they secured a commanding lead of 370 runs with a first innings advantage of 236.
Najmul Hossain Shanto, who scored his third Test century in the first innings of this match, remained unbeaten on a fifty on the second day, while Zakir Hasan also notched a half-century. At the close of day two, both batters were unbeaten on 54.
Bangladesh had a dismal start to the day, losing five wickets in the first hour, adding just 20 runs to their overnight total.
However, they managed to stand firm and dismiss Afghanistan for 146 runs, thanks to Ebadot Hossain's four-wicket haul.
Left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam, along with spinners Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, also picked up two wickets each. In the process, Miraz reached the milestone of 150 Test wickets, becoming only the third Bangladeshi bowler to achieve this feat, following Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul.
The day predominantly belonged to the bowlers, who took 16 wickets for 300 runs, with most of the dismissals attributed to the pacers.
Among the last five wickets of Bangladesh, Nijat Masood claimed three, securing his maiden five-wicket haul on debut. Nijat became only the second Afghan bowler to record five-for in debut, having earlier taken a wicket off the first ball of his Test career, making him the second bowler in history to achieve this fate.
"It was great that we got a pitch like this," Ebadot said at the end of the day expressing his happiness on the wicket. "It's lucky for us to have a pitch that favors the pacers. We just wanted to make the most of it."
Shoriful initiated the assault for Bangladesh, taking the first wicket of Afghanistan. He and Ebadot shared two of the first four wickets, with Ebadot claiming two more to dismiss Afghanistan for a below-par total.
The hosts effectively utilized the new ball and extracted bounce from the pitch. After Shoriful's early breakthrough in the sixth over, Bangladesh continued to take wickets at regular intervals.
For Afghanistan, Afsar Zazai top-scored with 36 runs, while Nasir Jamal was the only other batsman to cross the 30-run mark.
In the early stages of their second innings, Bangladesh lost Mahmudul Hasan Joy for 17. Joy had scored a fifty in the first innings but failed to capitalize in the second innings.
In the second wicket partnership, Shanto and Zakir forged an unbeaten stand of 116 runs, solidifying Bangladesh's commanding position in the Test.
Jonathan Trott, the Afghanistan head coach, acknowledged the challenge for the tourists to stage a comeback in the match.
"The way the pitch is playing, it's going to be tough for us. So, yes, we just have to put up a fight, show character, and perform as strongly as possible to salvage some pride," he said.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
