Miraz’s five-fer hands Bangladesh edge after Azan Awais’s debut ton
By Nawaz Gohar ; In a Test match that continues to swing like a pendulum, Bangladesh emerged with a slight but significant advantage at the close of a pulsating Day 3 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
A masterclass in spin bowling by Mehidy Hasan Miraz saw the hosts secure a 27-run first-innings lead, despite a historic debut century from Pakistan’s young prodigy, Azan Awais.
The day belonged to Mehidy Hasan Miraz, whose tireless 38-over shift yielded a brilliant 5/102. Miraz was the architect of Pakistan’s undoing, striking at critical junctures to trigger a middle-order collapse. After Pakistan looked set for a massive total, Miraz’s guile and flight turned the tide, ensuring the visitors were bundled out for 386.
By stumps—called early due to fading light—Bangladesh had reached 7/0 in their second innings, stretching their overall lead to 34 runs with all ten wickets intact.
The morning session was defined by the composure of 21-year-old debutant Azan Awais. Resuming on his overnight score, Awais played with a maturity far beyond his years, anchoring the innings with a sublime 103 off 165 deliveries. His innings, laced with 14 elegant boundaries, made him only the latest Pakistani to notch a century on Test debut.
He was ably supported by fellow debutant Abdullah Fazal, who contributed a gutsy 60. The pair stretched their partnership to 104 runs before Taskin Ahmed finally broke the resistance, sparking a collapse that saw Pakistan slip from 179/1 to a precarious 230/5.
With the innings teetering, Mohammad Rizwan (59) and Salman Ali Agha (58) orchestrated a defiant rescue mission. The duo stitched together a fluent 119-run partnership for the sixth wicket, momentarily snatching the momentum back from the Tigers. Rizwan was his usual aggressive self, finding the fence eight times, while Agha provided the stability.
However, the stroke of Tea proved fatal for Pakistan as Rizwan holed out to mid-off against Taijul Islam. The post-Tea session saw a clinical mop-up by the Bangladeshi bowlers; Nahid Rana dismissed Agha, and the tail offered only brief resistance before Taijul cleaned up Hasan Ali to end the innings.
While Pakistan’s debutants and middle order showed flashes of brilliance, reckless shot selection in the final session handed the initiative back to Bangladesh. With the pitch beginning to offer more assistance to the spinners, the hosts will look to set a formidable target on Day 4, while Pakistan’s bowlers face the uphill task of keeping the lead within a chasable range.
