Tanzid Hasan and Shadman Islam give Bangladesh control before Afghanistan hit back in Abu Dhabi

Bangladesh reached 261 for 5 on the opening day of the one-off Test in Abu Dhabi after a 124-run opening stand was followed by three wickets in the space of four runs

Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss at Zayed Cricket Stadium and chose to bat, and for the first two hours the decision looked close to flawless. Tanzid Hasan and Shadman Islam put on 124 for the first wicket from 138 balls, and both openers passed fifty.

Afghanistan's answer came in the middle session. Three wickets fell for four runs as Bangladesh slid from 221 for 2 to 225 for 5, two of them to the seamer Yamin Ahmadzai, who had figures of 2-47 from 12 overs.

It was also the first day of Rahmat Shah's captaincy. He has taken over the Test side from Hashmatullah Shahidi, and his bowlers handed him a way back into a match that had been drifting.

Tanzid sets the tempo

Tanzid made 83 from 71 balls with eight fours and four sixes, reaching his fifty in 41 balls. He took 15 off Yamin's fifth over of the morning.

The opening partnership raised its hundred in 109 balls, and Bangladesh scored at better than four an over before lunch.

They went to the interval on 134 for 1, Tanzid the only man out. Shadman was unbeaten on 41 from 74 balls and Mominul Haque on five.

Tanzid fell to Ismat Alam, chasing a delivery outside off stump and edging through to Ikram Alikhil. The wicketkeeper had stood up to the stumps even to the medium-pacers, and the tactic brought Afghanistan their only breakthrough of the session.

Shadman's ninth Test fifty

Shadman batted either side of lunch for 67 from 111 balls, the ninth fifty of his Test career.

He had been dropped on five, Hashmatullah Shahidi putting down the chance at cover. The reprieve was worth another 62 runs.

Mohammad Salim eventually accounted for him, Zia Ur Rahman taking the catch at square leg.

Three wickets in four runs

Mominul reached 39 from 70 balls and added 37 with Shanto in 59 deliveries before driving at Yamin and picking out Rahmat Shah at cover.

Shanto followed for 29, beaten by a Qais Ahmad leg break after a loose stroke.

Mushfiqur Rahim then lasted seven balls without scoring, bowled by an inswinging yorker from Yamin.

Inside those four runs Bangladesh lost their captain and two of their most experienced batters, and a first innings that had been theirs to shape was suddenly level.

Afghanistan find reverse swing

Yamin and Mohammad Salim worked the batters over with the short ball through the afternoon before getting the older ball to reverse.

Qais Ahmad's leg spin gave Rahmat Shah a third attacking option, and the contrast with the morning was stark: Afghanistan used five bowlers in the opening session and took one wicket between them.

They fielded through the hottest part of the day, with temperatures in Abu Dhabi forecast to reach 37C.

Litton and Mehidy rebuild

Bangladesh went to tea on 226 for 5, Litton Das on three and Mehidy Hasan Miraz yet to score.

The pair have since carried the innings to 261 for 5 after 63 overs, an unbroken stand that has already outlasted the collapse that produced it.

With five wickets standing, Bangladesh will look to bat Afghanistan out of the first innings on a surface that has so far given the seamers reverse swing rather than pace.

Scorecard: Bangladesh 261 for 5 (63 overs) v Afghanistan, Only Test, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Day one in progress.

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