Pakistan have put themselves on a solid ground with a big first innings total in the ongoing first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. When their captain Shan Masood called for their innings to be declared late on second day, Pakistan had reached 448/6 in 113 overs with Mohammad Rizwan unbeaten on 171 alongside Shaheen Afridi who made 29 not out.
Considering Rizwan was 29 runs away from what could have been his maiden Test double-ton, could the declaration have been delayed?
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Pakistan vice-captain Saud Shakeel, who himself scored a century – 141 off 261 – explained that the team had already decided upon the timing of declaration and that Rizwan was told an hour they will be making the call when the team reaches closer to 450.
“As far as Rizwan bhai’s double century is concerned, I don’t think we made any haste in taking the decision to declare. Rizwan bhai had an idea an hour, hour-and-a-half before that we will be declaring around this point of time, will try to near 450 before declaring,” Shakeel said during a media interaction after the end of play on Day 2.
Put in to bat first at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan were off to a rocky start losing three wickets inside 9 overs. Opener Asad Shafique (9), Masood (6) and former skipper Babar Azam (0) were sent packing early before Saim Ayub and Rizwan provided stability with a 98-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Ayub scored 56 before departing.
That dismissal gave way to a mammoth stand between Rizwan and Shakeel with the pair adding 240 runs for the fifth wicket and put Pakistan in control. For Bangladesh, Hasan Mahmud (2/70) and Shoriful Islam (2/77) picked up a couple of wickets each while Mehidy Hasan Miraz (1/80) and Shakib Al Hasan (1/100) chipped in with a wicket each.
In reply, Bangladesh were 27/0 in 12 overs with Shadman Islam (12*) and Zakir Hasan (11*) the two unbeaten batters.
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