Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq and Adnan Akmal Tuesday hit half-centuries to help Pakistan gain a 132-run lead in the second and final Test against Bangladesh despite Shakib Al Hasan’s heroics with bat and ball.
Misbah made an impressive 70 and Akmal hit 53 for his maiden Test half-century as the tourists posted 470 in their first innings in reply to Bangladesh’s 338 on the penultimate day in Dhaka.
Bangladesh were struggling at 24-2 in their second innings at tea, losing free-scoring opener Tamim Iqbal for 21 and Shahriar Nafees for no score off paceman Umar Gul’s last two balls before the break.
Former captain Shakib, who cracked a career-best 144 in the first innings, also impressed as a left-arm spinner as he finished with 6-82 to become the first Bangladeshi to score a century and bag five or more wickets in a Test.
He took five of the seven Pakistani wickets to fall in the day to complete his ninth haul of five or more wickets in a Test innings.
Younis Khan (49), Asad Shafiq (42) and Abdur Rehman (24) were the other main scorers as Pakistan batted steadily in the opening two sessions to strengthen their position.
Bangladesh’s fielding remained below par as they let off Misbah and Shafiq in the opening session and Akmal in the second after having dropped three catches on Monday.
Misbah played handsome shots in his 14th Test half-century, driving paceman Nazmul Hossain through the covers and then straight for two successive fours before twice reverse-sweeping left-arm spinner Elias Sunny for boundaries.
But he was lucky to survive soon after completing his 50 as Robiul Islam dropped an easy catch at mid-on off Shakib. He eventually fell sweeping, caught by Mohammad Mahmudullah in the slips off Shakib.
The Pakistani skipper hit 11 fours in his 123-ball knock.
Shafiq, who made a century in the opening Test in Chittagong, started impressively, cutting and flicking fast bowler Shahadat Hossain for two boundaries in an over before being trapped leg-before by seamer Robiul.
Sunny got a wicket with his second delivery of the day when he had Younis caught behind after the batsman had added just one run to his overnight score of 48.
Sunny had a chance to take another wicket but Mahmudullah dropped Shafiq on 36 a few overs before the lunch break.
Pakistan lead 1-0 in the series after winning the first Test by an innings and 184 runs.
