Skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim hit half-centuries to rescue the team from a spot of trouble and take Bangladesh to 170-3 at the end of the morning session of Day 2 of the lone Test against Ireland at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Shakib has counter-attacked the Irish attack and is batting on 74 off 74 balls. Mushfiq has been playing more cautiously and is unbeaten on 53 off 77 balls.
Shakib and Mushfiq have added 130 runs for the fourth wicket so far and have reduced Bangladesh’s first innings deficit to 44 runs.
Bangladesh resumed the day’s play on 34-2 with overnight batter Mominul Haque coming out to bat with new partner Mushfiqur Rahim after Tamim Iqbal (21) got dismissed in the final ball of the opening day.
Mominul could add just five runs to his overnight score before getting bowled around his legs for 17.
Bangladesh were struggling on 40-3, in reply of Ireland’s first innings score of 214, when Shakib joined Mushfiq.
Shakib batted with a positive approach from the start, hitting boundaries in whenever the opportunity presented itself.
Shakib’s attitude rubbed off on Mushfiq, who also began hitting a few more strokes, which put the inexperienced Irish attack under a lot of pressure.
Shakib completed his 31st Test half-century off just 45 balls with the help of nine fours. The left-hander continued attacking the bowlers and the partnership crossed the 100-run mark off 109 balls.
Mushfiq was stuck in the 40s for a while before hitting Harry Tector for a four with a sweep to bring up his 26th Test fifty.
Bangladesh scored a total of 136 runs in the 27-over session at a run rate of 5.06 with the loss of just one wicket. The Tigers are in prime position to take a lead against the Irish and test them in the following innings on a pitch where every now and then the ball is keeping low.