BAN Vs PAK Highlights, 1st Test Day 1: Najmul Shanto, Mominul Haque's Gritty Knocks Guide Hosts To 301/4 At Stumps

Hello, Test cricket fans! We are back with another live blog as Bangladesh take on Pakistan in the 1st Test Day 1 at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Stay tuned for live updates throughout the day.

Pakistan Squad: Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Awais, Shan Masood(c), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w), Salman Agha, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Khurram Shahzad, Hasan Ali, Amad Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Khurram Shahzad, Ghazi Ghori, Abdullah Fazal

Bangladesh Squad: Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Amite Hasan

Pakistan have won the toss and have opted to field.

Bangladesh (Playing XI): Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das(w), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Ebadot Hossain

Pakistan (Playing XI): Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Awais, Abdullah Fazal, Shan Masood(c), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w), Salman Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Noman Ali, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas

Here we go then! The first ball is moments away in Mirpur as Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Shadman Islam walk out to open the innings for Bangladesh.

All eyes on Mahmudul Hasan Joy as he takes strike, while Pakistan throw the new ball to their pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi. Fresh pitch, red ball swinging around under cloudy skies, we are officially underway.

Mohammad Abbas floats one up outside off and Shadman Islam wastes absolutely no time. A confident stride forward, high elbow, and the cover drive is pure timing. The ball screams through the covers, splits the field with ease, and races away to the boundary.

Pakistan have the breakthrough and it is Shaheen Afridi who delivers the early punch! After troubling him in the previous over, Shaheen lures Mahmudul Hasan Joy into another poke outside off with a beautifully angled delivery.

Joy pushes at it with hard hands, gets a thick outside edge, and the ball flies straight through to Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps. Safe as ever from Rizwan and Pakistan strike early in Mirpur.

Instant impact from Hasan Ali! First ball into the attack and he strikes straight away for Pakistan. The seamer angles a probing delivery across Shadman Islam, tempting him into a push away from the body.

A thick outside edge flies quickly towards second slip, but Salman Agha reacts brilliantly, diving low to his left to complete a sharp catch. Bangladesh are suddenly under pressure with two early wickets gone in Mirpur.

Najmul Hossain Shanto is fighting back in style here. Shaheen Afridi overpitches around off and Shanto absolutely pounces on it. A big stride forward, full face of the bat, and the ball rockets straight back past the bowler. No chance for the fielders as it races away to the boundary. Back-to-back fours and Bangladesh finally get a bit of breathing space.

Salman Agha drops one short and gets punished immediately! Najmul Hossain Shanto is right on it, reads the length early, rocks back, and unleashes a powerful pull. The ball sails high over deep square leg, clean, brutal, and all the way into the stands. That’s a statement shot in Mirpur, and Bangladesh are suddenly shifting gears.

Bangladesh go into lunch at 101/2 after 26 overs in Mirpur, with Najmul Hossain Shanto unbeaten on 39 and looking in control alongside Mominul Haque, who is steady on 31. Mahmudul Hasan Joy (8) and Shadman Islam (13) fell early to the new-ball burst from Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali, but the hosts recovered well through a composed partnership that has started to blunt Pakistan’s attack heading into the break.

We are back for the second session in Mirpur, and Pakistan come out with intent straight away. Hasan Ali is operating from round the wicket with a packed slip cordon and gully in place, trying to create early pressure.

First up to Najmul Hossain Shanto, a back-of-a-length delivery on middle and leg, he gets a bit of surprise lift from the surface but Shanto stays solid, hopping up and taking it safely on the glove before dropping it down. The next one is fuller in intent, but Shanto is calm again, getting right behind the line and dead-batting it straight back in front of square. Tight, watchful start to the session.

What a moment in Mirpur! Hasan Ali digs it in short at head height, trying to rattle the batter, but Najmul Hossain Shanto is absolutely in control. He rocks back in a flash, nails the pull shot along the ground, and threads it perfectly past the deep fielder, who barely moves before watching it race away to the boundary.

That’s a stylish way to bring up his fifty, calm, composed, and now turning on the flair just when Bangladesh needed it.

Noman Ali tosses it up, and Mominul Haque responds with pure class, opens the bat face and guides it neatly down to third man for a couple. That’s his fifty brought up in composed fashion, and he lifts the bat to a warm round of applause from the crowd. A calm, mature innings under pressure, anchoring Bangladesh beautifully in this Test.

Mirpur erupts! Mohammad Abbas pitches it up outside off, and Najmul Hossain Shanto steps into it with total authority. He leans forward, drives it crisply on the up through extra cover, and races to a superb century.

Helmet comes off, fist punches the air, a roar follows, and the bat gets a proud kiss, a captain leading from the front with a statement innings that has put Bangladesh firmly in control.

Mohammad Abbas removes Najmul Hossain Shanto LBW after a successful review, with ball-tracking confirming three reds and an off-stump impact. Shanto departs after a superb 101, just after reaching his century, leaving Mominul Haque to continue the innings.

A dominant session for Bangladesh as Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque took full control after lunch and kept the scoreboard moving at a healthy pace.

Shanto led the charge with an attacking mindset, constantly looking for scoring options and not allowing the bowlers to settle, while Mominul played a more controlled, compact hand, rotating strike and punishing anything loose.

Both batters brought up composed fifties as Bangladesh steadily built their innings. At tea on Day 1, Bangladesh sit comfortably at 201/3 after 53 overs, firmly on top of the contest.

Shaheen Afridi comes steaming in and targets the channel just outside off, extracting a bit of seam movement off a good length. Mominul Haque stays patient, gets right behind the line, and plays a controlled defensive stroke, dead-batting it back down the pitch. Tight, watchful cricket in Mirpur as the pressure battle continues.

250 runs up for Bangladesh. Both Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim also going strong and have taken the 4th wicket stand to 49 runs. While Haque (81*) is slowly moving towards a well-deserved century, Rahim has also found his feet in the middle. Tough day on the field contines for Pakistan.

Bangladesh are inching towards a big first innings total as Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim have stitched a 60-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Both the batter are looking quite comfortable on the crease and PAK bowlers don't seem to have a clue on how to get these batters out on a flat pitch.

Heartbreak for Bangladeshi fans as Noman Ali gets the big wicket of Mominul Haque just nine runs shy from his hundred. Ali traps Haque in front of the wickets for 91 runs and BAN lose their 4th wicket. Litton Das joins Mushfiqur Rahim in the middle.

Mushfiqur Rahim (44*) is looking quite comfortable at the crease and is moving closer towards a well-crafted half-century. Litton Das has got off to a watchful start as he's made only 4 runs from his initial 20 deliveries. As we are heading towards the end of the day, BAN would want to end the day without losing anymore wickets.

Shaheen Shah Afridi bowls the last ball of the day and Mushfiqur Rahim lets the ball go. Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton stitch an unbeaten 25-run partnership for the 5th wicket to see off the day, one which belonged to the Bangla Tigers as they made an amazing comeback after losing two initial wickets to finish the day at 301/4. Skipper Najmul Hasan Shanto's century and Mominul Haque's gritty innings were the highlights of the day.

BAN 301/4 (85)

That's a wrap from our end. We'll be back soon with another blog, until then, bye bye.