Sports Desk:

Bangladesh dragged their lead to 159 runs on a busy morning that included an early wicket, some close shaves and a hit on the helmet. Yasir Ali was taken for a scan after Shaheen Afridi struck him on the back of his helmet. It was a delayed reaction as he was around for 1.1 overs, before being taken off.

The concussion substitute Nurul Hasan isn’t off the mark after facing nine balls, accompanied by Liton Das who is unbeaten on 32. Bangladesh’s overnight trouble, when they finished on 39 for 4, turned into early morning disaster. Mushfiqur Rahim was bowled shouldering arms against Hasan Ali on the third ball of the day.

Liton and Yasir were initially cautious but when a couple of inside edges went for four, they started to get edgy. Yasir survived a run-out chance in the sixth over of the morning, before Mohammad Rizwan missed a stumping when Liton missed a Nauman Ali delivery. Liton also survived on 26 when the umpire adjudged him caught at short-leg but replays showed it didn’t touch his bat.

Yasir struck six fours in his 72-ball 36, before Afridi hit him on the head. Shortly before lunch, Sajid Khan trapped Mehidy Hasan Miraz lbw for 11, which brought Nurul to the crease with a few minutes left before the lunch break.

Bangladesh had a difficult third evening after taking a 44-run lead over Pakistan. Afridi bowled a peach of a spell on the third evening, reducing Bangladesh to 25 for 4. It was a similar top-order collapse to how they started in the first innings. Afridi slammed one into Shadman Islam’s pad, which upon review, was given out based on the umpire’s call.

Najmul Hossain Shanto guided one to Abdullah Shafique one ball later, before Azhar Ali took the simplest of catches at midwicket when captain Mominul Haque chipped one towards him. Saif Hassan struck three fours before falling again to a snorter from Afridi, unaware of where the ball went as it ballooned back to the bowler. Mushfiqur and Yasir survived 8.5 overs on the third day, but the senior batter’s early dismissal on the fourth morning was a big blow to Bangladesh.