Sports Reporter:
Left-handed batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto shines with a century in the Dhaka Test against Afghani-stan, setting the tone for the hosts.
Marking only his third century in Test matches, Shanto displayed exceptional batting prowess and con-tributed well to Bangladesh’s innings.
After winning the toss, Afghanistan chose to bowl first. They quickly found success by dismissing Zakir Hasan for just 1 run.
Nijat Masood delivered a length ball on the line of the stumps, which sharply moved and eluded Zakir’s attempted shot. The Afghan players appealed for a caught-behind, but the umpire dismissed the appeal.
However, television replays clearly showed that the ball made contact with the bat, resulting in Nijat taking a wicket off the very first ball of his Test career.
Despite this early setback, the Bangladeshi batting line-up remained resilient. Shanto and Mahmudul Hasan Joy formed a remarkable partnership of 212 runs for the second wicket. Their batting display re-sembled an ODI innings, demonstrating their solid technique and stroke-making ability.
The partnership was eventually broken when Joy was dismissed for a well-earned 76 off 137 balls.
Bangladesh is currently missing the services of key players, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, both of whom are nursing injuries. Their absence poses a challenge for the team, requiring other players to step up and fill the void.
Similarly, Afghanistan is also facing the absence of their star player, Rashid Khan, who is sidelined due to injury concerns.
