Veteran Mushfiqur Rahim kept Bangladesh flowing amid the good work of Pakistan pacer Mohammad Abbas, steering the side to 380-7 at lunch on Day 2 of the first cricket Test at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Abbas took all three wickets, fallen in the first session to end with 4-73 from 31 overs after Bangladesh resumed the day at 301-4.
His disciplined bowling stalled the progress of Bangladesh, who looked to extend its domination over the game after hurling the baton on Day 1.
Abbas relied on an old school Test match approach, bowling relentlessly outside the off stump to induce mistakes.
While the strategy prevented Bangladesh from accelerating, it also brought Pakistan the breakthroughs they desperately needed.
Mushfiqur nudged Shaheen Shah Afridi for a single in the third over of the morning to bring up his 29th Test fifty from 114 balls.
The milestone marked his 42nd fifty-plus score in Tests, the most by a Bangladesh batter, surpassing Tamim Iqbal's tally of 41.
He and Liton Das looked to take Bangladesh in stranglehold before Abbas produced a beauty to dismiss the latter for 33, ending the 62-run third wicket stand.
Abbas then sent back Mehidy Hasan Miraz (10) and Taijul Islam (17) in quick succession, leaving Mushfiqur to dig deep.
Mushfiqur was unbeaten on 71 after hitting eight boundaries from 176 balls, going into the lunch while Ebadot Hossain was yet to score.
Earlier on Day 1, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto struck a sublime century and Mominul Haque made 91 to put Bangladesh in command.
Bd-pratidin English/ ANI
