Captain Shan Masood and star batsman Babar Azam have produced a defiant, rapid half-century partnership to stabilize Pakistan after Bangladesh’s bowling unit extracted both opening batsmen early on Day 4 of the deciding second Test.
Chasing a monumental, record-breaking target of 437 runs at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Pakistan navigated their way to 101/2 at the lunch interval, continuing to display proactive intent despite the immense scoreboard pressure.
Resuming the morning at an unscathed 0/0 after a brief bad-light disruption the previous evening, overnight openers Abdullah Fazal and Azan Awais successfully held out against the new ball for the initial half-hour. However, the host nation broke the opening stand through express pacer Nahid Rana, who used his raw pace to bang in a heavy short delivery. Fazal (6) mistimed an uncomfortable glance toward gully, where the fielder scooped a low, diving catch just centimeters above the grass.
The Current Match Standing
| Parameters | Current Match Status & Figures |
| Match Scenario | Pakistan needs 285 more runs to win with 8 wickets remaining |
| Bangladesh (1st Innings) | 278 All Out (Litton Das 126; Khurram Shahzad 4/81) |
| Pakistan (1st Innings) | 232 All Out (Babar Azam 68; Nahid Rana 3/60) |
| Bangladesh (2nd Innings) | 390 All Out (Mushfiqur Rahim 137, Litton Das 69; Khurram Shahzad 4/86) |
| Pakistan (2nd Innings – Live) | 152/3 (Shan Masood 64*, Saud Shakeel 5*; Nahid Rana 1/24) |
Key Updates
Record Milestone
Mushfiqur Rahim (137 Runs)
Became Bangladesh’s highest century-maker in Test history with his 14th ton, powering the hosts to a massive lead.
Pace Weapon
Khurram Shahzad (8 Wickets)
The standout paceman for Pakistan, taking 4-81 in the first innings and backing it up with 4-86 in the second.
Spin Breakthrough
Mehidy Hasan Miraz
Trapped opener Azan Awais (21) plumb LBW with a straight delivery, shattering Pakistan’s early resistance.
Highlights
Shortly after Fazal’s departure, off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz inflicted an even heavier blow on the visitors. Miraz deceived Azan Awais (21) with a beautifully flighted delivery that skipped through with the arm, striking the young opener dead in front on his front pad. An anxious review from Awais proved completely futile as tracking showed the ball crashing into middle stump, leaving Pakistan reeling at 41/2.
Rather than retreating into an absolute shell against the charging Tigers, Babar Azam and Shan Masood chose to counter-attack aggressively. Off his very first delivery, Babar edged a sharp ball safely over the slip cordon for a boundary to signal his intent. Masood quickly followed suit, uncovering elegant footwork to strike veteran seamer Taskin Ahmed for three flawlessly timed boundaries in a single over.
As the session drew to a close, the high-profile duo unleashed a flurry of boundaries against spinners Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, extracting 46 quick runs from the final six overs of the morning. While the aggressive partnership has successfully kept Bangladesh’s spin trap at bay temporarily, the visitors face a monumental tactical hill ahead if they are to successfully rewrite the history books in this massive fourth-innings chase.