Bangladesh vs Afghanistan: Hasan Mahmud hat-trick puts Tigers on brink of Test win
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Hasan Mahmud took three wickets in three balls on day three. He is the first Bangladesh fast bowler to take a Test hat-trick.
- Bangladesh declared at 372 for 7 in the second innings. Afghanistan needs 479 runs to win the one-off Test.
- Afghanistan closed day four at 132 for 3. Bangladesh needs seven wickets on the final day to win.
Bangladesh stands one good day from a Test win over Afghanistan. The one-off Test in Abu Dhabi reaches its final day on Tuesday, October 13. Afghanistan needs 347 more runs.
Bangladesh needs seven more wickets.
The story of the match so far is Hasan Mahmud. The fast bowler took three wickets in three balls on day three. It was the first Test hat-trick by a Bangladesh fast bowler.
It turned the match in Bangladesh's favour.
What happened
A Test match runs for up to five days. Each team bats twice. The team with more runs at the end wins.
If time runs out, the match ends in a draw.
Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat first. The team scored 346 runs in its first innings. Tanzid Hasan top-scored with 83 runs from 71 balls.
Shadman Islam made 67. Litton Das made 53. Mohammad Saleem took four wickets for 82 runs for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan replied with 240 runs. Captain Rahmat Shah stood firm with 105 not out from 216 balls. It was his fourth Test hundred.
It was also his first Test as captain. No other Afghanistan batter passed 50.
Hasan Mahmud did the damage. He took five wickets for 55 runs. His pace partner Ebadot Hossain took four wickets for 56 runs.
According to ESPNcricinfo, it was a first for Bangladesh. Two fast bowlers took four or more wickets each in the same Test innings.
The hat-trick came on day three, Sunday, October 11. Afghanistan resumed at 211 for 4. Mahmud struck in the 83rd over.
He bowled Ismat Alam with a ball that stayed low. Next ball, Qais Ahmad edged behind. Litton Das dived low to his right to take the catch.
The third ball brought the biggest moment. Zia-ur-Rehman was struck on the back leg. The umpire first said not out.
Bangladesh asked for a review. The TV replay showed the ball crashing into off stump. The decision changed to out.
The hat-trick was complete.
A hat-trick in cricket means three wickets in three balls. It is one of the rarest feats in the sport. Mahmud became only the third Bangladesh bowler to do it in a Test.
The other two were spinners. Alok Kapali did it against Pakistan in Peshawar in 2003. Sohag Gazi did it against New Zealand in Chittagong in 2013.
Mahmud is the first fast bowler from Bangladesh to join that list.
Mahmud finished with five wickets in the innings. It was his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests. The wickets also took him to 50 Test wickets in his 17th game.
Bangladesh led by 106 runs after the first innings. The batters then built on that lead. Bangladesh slipped to 53 for 3 in the second innings.
Then captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim took charge. The pair added 159 runs for the fourth wicket. Shanto made 82.
Mushfiqur made 81.
By the close of day three, Bangladesh had reached 223 for 6. The lead stood at 329 runs. Four wickets were still in hand.
Day four belonged to Litton Das. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 102 runs from 117 balls. He had three lives along the way.
Afghanistan dropped him on 14, 26, and 67, according to The Daily Star. He made them pay. It was his seventh Test century.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz stayed unbeaten on 52. Bangladesh declared at 372 for 7. A declaration means a team ends its innings early on purpose.
Bangladesh did it to leave enough time to bowl Afghanistan out. The target was 479 runs to win.
Afghanistan lost two early wickets in the chase. Abdul Malik made 2. Shahidullah Kamal made 19.
Then Rahmat Shah and Sediqullah Atal steadied the innings. They added 82 runs for the third wicket from 214 balls. Rahmat fell for 51 to Ebadot Hossain.
Atal finished the day on 35 not out. Hashmatullah Shahidi was 19 not out. Afghanistan closed at 132 for 3.
Why it matters
This Test shows how far Bangladesh's fast bowling has come. The country has long relied on spin bowling. Spin means slow bowling that turns the ball.
Fast bowling means pace and swing. In this match, pace has ruled.
Fast bowlers have taken 25 of the 30 wickets to fall in the match, according to The Daily Star. Mahmud and Ebadot led the way. Their work gave Bangladesh control of the game.
The match also matters for Litton Das. He came into this Test after a hard tour of Australia. He scored three ducks in a row there.
A duck means a batter is out for zero runs. Since then, he has scored 53 and 102 in this Test. He has also taken eight catches behind the stumps.
That is the most by a Bangladesh wicketkeeper in a single Test. The old record was seven by Khaled Mashud against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2004.
For Afghanistan, the match is a test of nerve. The team fought hard through Rahmat Shah. But the lower order folded twice.
In the first innings, Afghanistan lost its last six wickets for 21 runs. The team needs a big final day to save the game.
The result also matters for fans who follow every Test match. Bangladesh and Afghanistan do not play each other often in Tests. A win here would be a strong marker for Bangladesh's progress away from home.
What happens next
Day five starts on Tuesday, October 13. Afghanistan needs 347 more runs to win. Bangladesh needs seven wickets.
A draw is still possible if Afghanistan bats all day without losing seven wickets.
Litton Das believes the spinners can finish the job. Bangladesh's slow bowlers took no wickets on day four. They bowled 28 overs between them without success.
Litton said the fifth-day pitch often starts to turn from the rough patches. He hopes the spinners will bowl in good areas and get some help from the pitch.
The three spinners to watch are Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, and Nayeem Hasan. They took just one wicket between them in the first innings. They have yet to take a wicket in the fourth innings.
If the pitch turns, they could decide the match.
Afghanistan's hopes rest on Atal and Shahidi. If they bat long, the middle order can follow. The team needs calm heads and long hours at the crease.
One more quick burst from Mahmud or Ebadot could end the fight.
The one-off Test has no second match to follow. This is the only Test on the tour. The team that wins day five wins the series.
Fans of the one-day match format will know that Tests are slower. But the final day of a close Test brings its own drama. Every ball counts.
Every wicket shifts the game.
Bangladesh starts the day as the clear favourite. The team has runs on the board and wickets in hand. But Test cricket has a habit of late twists.
A big partnership can change everything. A worn pitch can bring a collapse. Day five will settle it.
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