Pakistan make early inroads as Bangladesh lose four wickets in first session

Pakistan’s bowlers struck early to reduce Bangladesh to 69 for four at lunch on the opening day of the first Test in Chittagong on Friday.

At the break at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Mushfiqur Rahim was on five and Liton Das on 10.

Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf and Sajid Khan each claimed a wicket to put the hosts in trouble after Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque won the toss and elected to bat first.

Afridi set the tone for Pakistan with a gem of a delivery in the fifth over that rose sharply to glance off opener Saif Hasan’s bat to Abid Ali at short leg. He made 14.

Hanan then trapped the other opener Shadman Hossain leg-before for 14.

Skipper Mominul fell soon afterwards, scoring just six as Sajid spun one sharply to take an edge that was gladly accepted by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.

The umpire initially declared Mominul not out but the decision was overruled on review.

Najmul Hossain got off the mark with a four but he too perished soon cutting a Faheem delivery straight to Sajid at point.

Pakistan handed batsman Abdullah Shafique a Test debut while Yasir Ali was making a Test debut for Bangladesh in the two-match series.