Sports Desk: Nayeem Hasan broke the resistance of Rahmat Shah just after he became the first Afghan batsman to score a hundred in Test as Bangladesh fought their way back into the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Chattogram on Thursday.
Shah cut Nayeem for a boundary second over into the final session to complete his historic century but poked the next ball to Soumya Sarkar in the slip to depart for 102 runs after facing 187 balls and hitting 10 fours alongside two sixes.
He bowled Mohammad Nabi for a duck in the same over to restore the balance in the game after Shah’s 120-run fourth wicket stand helped Afghanistan rebuild their innings.
The visitors reached 207-5 in 75 overs, recovering from 77-3 in the first session.
Asghar, who was reprieved on 42 runs by television umpire after he was initially given leg before out off spinner Mehedi Hasan, remained unbeaten on 52 alongside Afsar Zazai.
Bangladesh were on top in the first session as Taijul removed both the openers while Mahmudllah struck on the stroke of the break.
Taijul bowled opener Ihsanullah Janat for nine and became the quickest Bangladeshi player to reach 100 Test wickets.
Taijul also became the third Bangladeshi bowler after Sakib al Hasan and Mohammad Rafique to achieve such feat in the longer-format.
The left-arm spinner toppled Rafique to become Bangladesh’s second highest wicket taker in Test when he dismissed other opener Ibrahim Zadran for 21, tempting the debutant to give a catch to Mahmudullah at long-off. .
Mahmudullah delivered a blow on Afghanistan when the forced Hashmatullah Shahidi to give a catch to Soumya Sarkar at slip for 14 in his first over and lunch taken immediately
Bangladesh fielded an all-spin attack without picking a single pace bowler while Afghanistan handed a Test debut to Ibrahim Zadran, Qais Ahmed and Zahir Khan.
Rashid became the youngest ever Test captain at the age of 20 years 350 days with the toss, overtaking the record of Zimbabwe’s Tatenda Taibu, who made his debut as Test captain just eight days older than Rashid in 2004.