Mohammad Rizwan was forced off the field at the end of the second day of play in Rawalpindi in the first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Tigers ended the day on 27 points and unbeaten after Pakistan posted 448/6 in their first innings.
Mohammad Rizwan scored an unbeaten 171 runs and along with Saud Shakeel (141) added 240 runs for the fifth wicket. Pakistan at one stage found themselves in a tricky situation at 113/4 with Babar Azam being dismissed for a duck and captain Shan Masood scoring just six.
The partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and Shakeel brought Pakistan back into the game. The lower order then added some crucial runs as Pakistan fell two short of 450.
Bangladesh began their innings cautiously. They batted for 12 overs and scored 27 runs as the openers negotiated with Pakistan’s new-ball bowlers. Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan, who was injured while batting, was replaced behind the stumps by former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed.
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Sarfaraz Ahmed replaced Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps
Muhammad Rizwan out with cramps as Sarfaraz Ahmed comes in to keep wickets against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi#PAKvBAN image.twitter.com/UWzVKDflB8
— Shahzaib Ali 🇵🇰 (@DSBcricket) August 22, 2024
The incident occurred after 7.2 overs when Mohammad Rizwan seemed to be struggling with some injuries. Babar Azam helped him with some stretching. The physiotherapist then walked to the field and helped Mohammad Rizwan with some treatment. After a consultation between Azhar Mahmood and Jason Gillespie, Sarfaraz Ahmed was seen walking towards the park.
On the second day, Pakistan firmly dominated the game and will be happier with both teams in the second round. Bangladesh bowlers, after their early knocks, looked very ordinary during the partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and Shakeel.
Both Pakistan and Bangladesh have a lot to do to reach the final of this edition of the World Test Championship. The two teams are currently in the second half of the points table. Pakistan is sixth with just 22 points while Bangladesh is eighth with just 12 points. Their PCT is not good either.
Pakistan has tough matches ahead, including the series against England, first in October, and then against England and West Indies in December and January. Bangladesh will face India and West Indies after the current series against Pakistan.
At the pre-match press conference, the Bangladesh captain was concerned about his team’s batting approach. He said his batsmen have lagged behind in the past but can make amends in this series. The wicketless start is possibly a good sign of what lies ahead for the Tigers.
Talking about Shanto, he scored 440 runs in Test cricket in 2023, including three hundreds, at an average of 55.00. But he could manage only 32 in four innings against Sri Lanka earlier this year.
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