Abu Dhabi, Oct 11 (IANS) Rahmat Shah began his Test captaincy tenure with a record century in the one-off Test match against Bangladesh at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium here on Sunday.
Shah scored 105 in almost a lone fight for Afghanistan in the first innings in reply to Bangladesh’s 346. He has now become the first Afghan player to score a hundred on Test captaincy debut.
Shah took over as the Test and ODI captain from Hashmatullah Shahidi in July this year. His first assignment as Test captain in the one-off Test saw him achieve a historic milestone as he also hit 10 fours and two sixes in a 105-run knock, which came from 216 balls.
While Shah made 105, opener Abdul Malik also scored 62 in 120 deliveries. Wicketkeeper batter Ikram Alikhil also put up a fight with 32 from 103 deliveries as Afghanistan ended up on 240.
It was a stellar bowling display from Bangladesh fast bowler Hasan Mahmud, who took a hat-trick and a five-wicket haul, while fellow speedster Ebadot Hossain also scored four wickets.
Mahmud has now become the first Bangladesh pacer to take a Test hat-trick and the third from his country overall. Before him, leg-spin all-rounder Alok Kapali (vs Pakistan in 2003) and off-spinner Sohag Gazi (vs New Zealand in 2013) had taken hat-tricks in the longest format.
Mahmud also completed a five-wicket haul as he removed Yamin Ahmadzai for an 11-ball duck. He completed his 50 wickets in the format and became the fastest Bangladesh pacer to take 50 wickets in the format as Afghanistan were bowled out for 240. Bangladesh took a lead of 106 in the first innings.
Bangladesh had made 346 in the first innings with Tanzid Hasan Tamim (83), Shadman Islam (67) and Litton Das (53) hitting half centuries. Mohammad Saleem Safi (4-82), Yamin Ahmadzai (3-79), Ismat Alam (2-20) and Qais Ahmad (1-60) shared the 10 wickets for Afghanistan.
–IANS
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