Opener Mohammad Hafeez was 137 not out in powering Pakistan to 227-1, 105 runs behind Bangladesh after two days of the first Test yesterday.
Bangladesh resumed their first innings on 236-4 and were bowled out for 332 three overs after lunch.
Hafeez reached his third century in three Tests, the sixth Pakistani to do so, and eighth overall, with his eighth boundary.
Photo: AFP
He and Azhar Ali, unbeaten on 65, shared 177 runs in Pakistan’s highest second-wicket partnership against Bangladesh.
Debutant Sami Aslam was the only batsman to fall, scoring 20 runs in a rapid opening stand of 50.
Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam (1-43) broke the partnership as it looked threatening. Hafeez and Aslam shared 50 off 67 balls until Aslam grazed a leg-side delivery and was caught behind. The umpire gave it not out, but Bangladesh won the appeal on a video review.
Azhar looked shaky at the start, and survived chances on 11 and 28. Mahmudullah dropped an easy catch at slip off Shakib al-Hasan, while captain Mushfiqur Rahim failed to hold another catch off debutant fast bowler Mohammad Shahid.
Mushfiqur injured his ring finger while trying to take the catch. He was taken to a hospital for X-rays, and Tamim Iqbal took over leading the side.
Azhar went on to his 19th half-century by hitting Shakib for six, as Hafeez did in bringing up his 50 by whacking the same bowler over the midwicket fence.
Hafeez scored only eight runs in the three-match, one-day international series, tormented by left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny. However, in the Test, he handled the Bangladesh spinner with ease to help his side quickly eat into the hosts’ advantage.
He was particularly harsh on Shakib, Bangladesh’s best bowler on the placid pitch.
Hafeez, who won a video review on 13, reached his own 100 off 123 balls, getting to his century in style by hitting paceman Rubel Hossain for consecutive fours through midwicket.
By stumps, he had played 137 balls, hit a dozen boundaries and two sixes.
On a pitch where the Pakistan batsmen scored effortlessly, Bangladesh added only 96 runs to their overnight total. They lost their last five wickets for 27 runs.
Fast bowler Wahab Riaz and leg-spinner Yasir Shah claimed three wickets apiece, and Hafeez and Zulfiqar Babar two each.
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