Afghanistan’s seamers took nine Bangladesh wickets in Abu Dhabi, and Rahmat Shah is 84 not out at stumps
Mohammad Saleem took four and Yamin Ahmadzai three as Bangladesh lost their last eight wickets for 125, before Afghanistan’s captain dug in on day two.
Oct 10, 2026
Bangladesh were 221 for 2 in the second session of the one-off Test in Abu Dhabi on Friday. By the middle of Saturday morning they were all out for 346, and nine of the ten wickets had gone to Afghanistan’s seamers. According to ESPNcricinfo, it was the first time a pace attack had taken nine wickets in a Test innings in Abu Dhabi.
Afghanistan reached stumps on the second day at 211 for 4, still 135 behind. Their captain Rahmat Shah is unbeaten on 84 off 186 balls, and nobody has got him or the wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhil out since 139 for 4.
Tanzid’s start, then three wickets for four runs
Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and batted, and for most of the first day the decision looked right. Tanzid Hasan hit 83 off 71 balls, with eight fours and four sixes, and he and Shadman Islam put on 124 for the first wicket before Tanzid was caught behind off Ismat Alam. Shadman made 67, and Mominul Haque helped him add 60 more.
Then it went. Mominul fell for 39 at 221, Yamin Ahmadzai bowled Mushfiqur Rahim for a seven-ball duck two runs later, and Shanto was caught off the leg-spinner Qais Ahmad for 29. That was 225 for 5. Litton Das, who had come into this Test off three straight ducks, steadied it with 53 and a stand of 62 with Mehidy Hasan Miraz, but Bangladesh closed the first day on 317 for 8.
Saturday’s batting lasted less than nine overs. Nayeem Hasan finished unbeaten on 35, Taijul Islam was given out caught behind off Mohammad Saleem after an Afghanistan review, and Ahmadzai ended it by removing Ebadot Hossain. Saleem took 4 for 82, Ahmadzai 3 for 79 on his return to the Test side, and Ismat Alam 2 for 20 from 12.4 overs, five of them maidens.
Malik’s first Test fifty, and a captain’s reply
Sediqullah Atal should have gone in the third over. A big caught-behind appeal was turned down, Bangladesh chose not to review, and replays showed the ball had taken the edge. He made 17 before edging Hasan Mahmud to Tanzid at first slip. Shahidullah top-edged a hook off Ebadot and was caught by Hasan Mahmud running in from fine leg for 20.
Abdul Malik and Rahmat then batted from just after lunch until well after tea. Malik reached his maiden Test fifty in the 34th over and made 62 before Litton caught him off Ebadot at 134. Hashmatullah Shahidi was stumped off Mehidy for a two-ball duck five runs later, and at 139 for 4 Bangladesh had a way back in.
That fifth wicket never came. Rahmat reached fifty and kept going, slowly, with Ikram, who has 26 off 91. The stand is worth 72. Mehidy bowled 20 overs for 1 for 37, seven of them maidens, and Taijul Islam sent down 21 for 44 without a wicket. Between them they kept Afghanistan below three an over all day. They just could not get anyone out, and Bangladesh may yet wonder about that unreviewed edge in the third over.
The new ball is one over away
Afghanistan need another 136 to take a first-innings lead when play resumes on Sunday. They have batted 79 overs, so Bangladesh can take the second new ball after one more, which gives Hasan Mahmud and Ebadot a fresh shot at Rahmat and Ikram first thing. The sides meet again on 21 October, in the ODI tri-series with Zimbabwe that follows this Test.