Rahmat Shah’s Resilient 84 Helps Afghanistan Fight Back Against Bangladesh

ABU DHABI: Afghanistan’s captain Rahmat Shah played a pivotal role on Saturday, scoring an unbeaten 84 to steer his team to 211-4 on the second day of their one-off Test against Bangladesh at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Despite the challenging conditions, with the sun beating down on a dry pitch, Rahmat’s resilience shone through as he faced a relentless Bangladeshi bowling attack. His innings brought Afghanistan within 135 runs of Bangladesh’s first innings total of 346, showcasing his ability to anchor the innings after early setbacks.

Bangladesh resumed their innings at 317-8 but could only add 29 runs in the first session, highlighting the effectiveness of Afghanistan’s bowlers. Rahmat formed a crucial partnership of 70 runs for the third wicket with Abdul Malik, who contributed a steady 62. This partnership was vital after the early dismissals of Sediqullah Atal and Shahidullah Kamal, who scored 17 and 20 runs respectively.

Looking ahead, Afghanistan will aim to build on their momentum in the upcoming sessions, with Rahmat and wicket-keeper Ikram Alikhil, who is currently on 26 not out, at the crease. The team will be focused on surpassing Bangladesh’s total and setting a challenging target for their opponents.