Watch: Mohammad Rizwan Passes Bat to Babar Azam During Bangladesh Test

New Delhi: The camaraderie between Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam was on full display during Day 2 of the first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh. After Pakistan declared at 448/6, with Rizwan leading the charge with an unbeaten 171 off 239 balls, the duo shared a heartwarming moment. As Rizwan made his way back to the dressing room, his teammates lined up along the boundary to applaud his exceptional performance. In a playful move, Rizwan tossed his bat towards Babar, who skillfully caught it, leading to laughter between the two. A viral video captured their friendship both on and off the field, showcasing their bond as they shared a light moment while fielding against Bangladesh.

Love em ♥️ pic.twitter.com/NU9bB7yzsF

— Zahra (@itsZahra2_0) August 22, 2024

As for the match, both Rizwan and Saud Shakeel delivered exceptional performances, scoring centuries to lead Pakistan to an impressive 448/6 declared. Bangladesh finished the second day at 27/0, as Pakistan’s innings saw Rizwan achieving his personal Test best with 171 not out, marking his third century in the format. Shakeel’s composed 141 added to the team’s recovery from a shaky 16/3 on Wednesday.

Bangladesh openers Shadman Islam (12) and Zakir Hasan (11) successfully navigated 12 overs of pace without much trouble, as the pitch at Rawalpindi Stadium offered less assistance to bowlers than initially expected. Despite early predictions favoring the bowlers, the surface has remained relatively benign so far.

Bangladesh’s batting coach, David Hemp, expressed optimism, hoping his side’s batters would rise to the occasion and match Pakistan’s strong first-innings performance.

“It’s a pretty good batting pitch and we hope it continues like this,” said Hemp, a former Bermuda player.

“Our batters need to match Pakistan’s batters and we need to get closer to Pakistan’s total.”

Bangladesh had put Pakistan on the backfoot on day one, but Saud Shakeel stepped up to stabilize the innings alongside Saim Ayub (56). The pair built a crucial 98-run partnership for the fourth wicket, laying the foundation for Pakistan’s recovery. Shakeel then combined with Mohammad Rizwan to add another 240 runs, effectively neutralizing Bangladesh’s bowling attack and shifting the momentum in Pakistan’s favor.

Mohammad Rizwan, with a composed 239-ball innings, struck three sixes and 11 boundaries, building a swift 44-run partnership with Shaheen Shah Afridi toward the end. Afridi played a fiery cameo, smashing two sixes and a boundary in his unbeaten 29. This quick burst of runs allowed Pakistan to declare their first innings 78 minutes after tea, putting further pressure on Bangladesh.