Afghanistan VS Bangladesh Match ball by ball Commentary

A five-day battle ends all square - That brings us to the end of this fascinating five-day Test, with Afghanistan showing tremendous resilience to hold on for a draw. Both teams have had their moments, and the captains, Rahmat Shah and Najmul Hossain Shanto, now come together to share the trophy and cheque after a hard-fought contest. The players from both sides pose for pictures together behind the 'Winners' banner. The focus will now shift to the ODI Tri-Nation Series in the UAE, featuring Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. Bangladesh will kick off the series against Zimbabwe on Saturday, 17 October, at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, with the match scheduled to begin at 12 pm GMT. Make sure to join us early for all the build-up. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

The skipper of Afghanistan - Rahmat Shah says this hard-fought draw against Bangladesh feels like a winning moment, praising his team's resilience with both bat and ball across the five days. He explains that the players stuck to their plans, understanding when to score runs and when to spend time at the crease, which ultimately helped them secure the result. He also praises Sediqullah Atal for his temperament and maturity, noting how the youngster followed the team's requirements and delivered when it mattered most. Reflecting on his own century on his debut as Afghanistan's captain, Rahmat says assessing the conditions, reading the opposition's field placements and adjusting his footwork were crucial to finding gaps, scoring runs and making the most of his opportunities.

The captain of Bangladesh - Najmul Hossain Shanto says that it's a bit disappointing but Afghanistan played really well. He reckons that their pacers were good but he hoped for their spinners to do a bit more. He says that they will take learnings from this game and keep on improving. Shanto further says that this match was important as Litton got back in form and that he has been outstanding behind the wickets and he is a key player for their side. He ends by saying that their pacers are doing a great job and that they will keep on improving.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Litton Das wins the award for his record-breaking Test match. He scored 53 in the first innings and followed it up with a hundred, making 102 in the second innings. He was also involved in 9 dismissals behind the stumps, showing incredible glovework. Litton says it was tough to play in such hot conditions, but he said to himself that he needed to focus and conserve energy. He reckons that they wanted to win the match, but the Afghans played really well. Das adds that he was relieved when he got off the mark and played with confidence. He ends by saying that the wicket was flat and that the second catch in the hat-trick was a special one for him.

Presentation Time...

Atal's marathon knock headlines the final day - Afghanistan walked into the final day with one job - survive - and they delivered an extraordinary rearguard effort to secure a remarkable draw. Sediqullah Atal led the resistance with a marathon 111 off 332 balls, while Hashmatullah Shahidi was forced to retire hurt after being struck. Ikram Alikhil's valuable 33 further frustrated Bangladesh before Qais Ahmad held his nerve alongside Ziaur Rahman to see Afghanistan through. Bangladesh had their opportunities, but Litton Das missed a stumping when Atal was on 70, while two missed run-out chances in the final session proved costly. Despite Litton's record-breaking feat of being the first wicketkeeper to register nine dismissals alongside a fifty and a hundred in the same Test, Bangladesh's missed chances ultimately denied them victory, as Afghanistan completed a memorable escape.

Litton's hundred puts Bangladesh in command - Litton Das took centre stage with a fluent 102 off 117 balls, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz remained unbeaten on 52 as Bangladesh declared at 372/7. Shanto's 82 and Rahim's 81 had earlier provided the backbone of the innings, allowing the hosts to set Afghanistan a formidable target of 479. The visitors' chase began poorly, with Ebadot Hossain dismissing Abdul Malik, while Hasan Mahmud removed Shahidullah Kamal. However, Afghanistan showed resilience through Rahmat, who scored 51, and Sediqullah Atal, who dug in for an unbeaten 35 off 126 balls. At Stumps, Afghanistan were 132/3, needing another 347 runs for victory, with Hashmatullah Shahidi unbeaten on 19 alongside Atal.

A historic century overshadowed by a hat-trick - Rahmat Shah produced a magnificent 105 to become the first Afghan batter to score a Test century on his captaincy debut, guiding his side to 240 in their first innings. Bangladesh's Hasan Mahmud claimed a five-wicket haul and became the first-ever bowler from his country to take a Test hat-trick, while Ebadot Hossain took four, as Afghanistan's lower order collapsed, including four ducks after Rahmat's dismissal. Bangladesh then strengthened their position through a determined second-innings effort. Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim built a crucial partnership, scoring 82 and 81 respectively, to steady the innings after early wickets. Their contributions laid the foundation for a commanding lead as Bangladesh looked to set Afghanistan a daunting fourth-innings target.

Rahmat Shah leads a resilient reply - Bangladesh added 29 runs to their overnight total before being bowled out for 346, with Nayeem Hasan finishing unbeaten on 35. Afghanistan responded positively, as Abdul Malik struck a maiden Test fifty and shared a valuable 70-run partnership with Rahmat Shah. Malik made 62 before falling, but Rahmat continued to anchor the innings, finding an able partner in Ikram Alikhil. The pair frustrated Bangladesh with a patient, unbeaten stand of 80 runs, taking Afghanistan to 211/4 at Stumps. Rahmat was unbeaten on 84, with Alikhil on 32, leaving the hosts trailing by 135 runs and firmly in the contest.

Tanzid and Shadman set the tone - Bangladesh dominated the opening session after electing to bat, with Tanzid Hasan leading the charge in an opening stand worth 124 runs with Shadman Islam. Tanzid smashed 83 off just 71 balls, while Shadman contributed 67, but Afghanistan's seamers fought back to prevent the hosts from building on their strong start. Mohammad Saleem claimed four wickets, including those of Shadman and Litton Das, who scored 53, as Bangladesh slipped from a commanding position. At Stumps, the hosts reached 317/8, with Nayeem Hasan unbeaten on 11 and Taijul Islam alongside him.