Pakistan asked Bangladesh to bat in the second Test after Shan Masood won a second straight toss, looked up, saw heavy cloud, and fancied his seamers. “It’s got a nice green topping, and with a bit of moisture around we’d rather have first crack,” he told the host broadcaster, sounding quietly relieved after the Mirpur defeat.
Three changes for the visitors, and the big one is Babar Azam. A bruised left knee meant he sat out in Dhaka; now he’s back at No.4, pushing Abdullah Fazal up to open and Imam-ul-Haq out of the XI. Pakistan have also rested Shaheen Shah Afridi and left-arm spinner Noman Ali, bringing in right-arm quick Khurram Shahzad and off-spinner Sajid Khan. Masood insisted Shaheen’s omission was “purely workload management”.
Bangladesh have tweaks of their own. With Shadman Islam nursing a sore wrist, 23-year-old left-hander Tanzid Hasan wins a maiden Test cap. “A special day for me; I just want to bat time,” he said, understated but clearly buzzing. Left-arm quick Shoriful Islam replaces Ebadot Hossain in a straight swap.
The start was almost washed away. Heavy pre-dawn rain left puddles, yet the groundstaff hustled and the outfield looked surprisingly crisp by 9.30 am. The forecast, though, hints at stop-start cricket, typical Sylhet in late May.
Line-ups
Bangladesh: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam.
Pakistan: Azan Awais, Abdullah Fazal, Shan Masood (capt), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Khurram Shahzad, Sajid Khan, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Abbas.
Talking points
• Pakistan’s rejigged attack tilts on Mohammad Abbas, who last played a Test 18 months ago. On a nibbling surface he could be awkward, but going in without Shaheen is still a gamble.
• Tanzid slots into an opening pair averaging under 25 as a partnership this cycle. Coach Chandika Hathurusingha admitted during the week they “need stability up top”.
• Babar’s fitness: he trained with a light brace on Wednesday, moved freely, and shrugged off concerns. “Couple of throws in the deep will tell me more,” he smiled.
The match also carries World Test Championship points—both sides lingering in mid-table—yet neither captain reached for grand statements. Shanto summed up the mood: “Win the first hour, see where it takes us.” Sensible, unsensational, and quite possibly the order of the day.
