CHITTAGONG: Both Pakistani openers \u2014 Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique \u2014 smashed an unbeaten fifty on Monday to put the Men In Green in a commanding position in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong.<\/p>\n
Set a target of 202, the visitors reached 109-0 at stumps and need only 93 runs on the final day on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Ali was batting on 56 at the end of the day’s play, adding to his first-innings score of 133, while debutant Shafique was unbeaten on 53.<\/p>\n
Fast bowler Shaheen Afridi earlier claimed 5-32 to help Pakistan bowl out Bangladesh for 157 runs in their second innings despite wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das making a fighting fifty.<\/p>\n
Resuming on 39-4, Bangladesh looked down and out once they lost Mushfiqur Rahim in the first over of the day, before Liton, who struck a hundred in the first innings, hauled the hosts back to respectability with 59 off 89 balls.<\/p>\n
Afridi trapped Liton leg-before and then had Abu Jayed out for a duck to complete his fourth five-wicket Test haul.<\/p>\n
Off-spinner Sajid Khan, who finished with 3-33, wrapped things up by dispatching Taijul Islam.<\/p>\n
The hosts had got off to a positive start with Mushfiqur hitting a boundary off the first ball of the morning, bowled by Hasan Ali.<\/p>\n
But two balls later he left a wrong delivery and departed for 16 after Hasan struck off-stump.<\/p>\n
Liton joined overnight batsman Yasir Ali to prevent further collapse.<\/p>\n
Just when they looked ready to prosper, Afridi’s low bounce hit the helmet of Yasir, who retired hurt after making 36.<\/p>\n
Liton survived on 26 when he was given out, caught at short leg off Sajid Khan.<\/p>\n
The replay showed that the ball only hit his pad and was going down the leg.<\/p>\n
Sajid was rewarded for his persistence as he trapped Mehidy Hasan leg-before for 11.<\/p>\n
Substitute Nurul Hasan replaced Yasir after Mehidy’s dismissal and barely survived a strong caught-behind appeal just before lunch.<\/p>\n
Nurul heaved one at long-on to Faheem Ashraf off Sajid after the break, getting dismissed for 15, and Pakistan took little time to take the remaining wickets.<\/p>\n
Bangladesh have failed to defeat Pakistan in any of their 10 previous encounters.<\/p>\n