Mushfiqur, Shanto give Bangladesh big lead after Mahmud, Ebadot dismantle Afghanistan

Monday, 12 October 2026 02:45 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Hasan Mahmud wrecked Afghanistan’s tail

Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto took the baton from Hasan Mahmud and Ebadot Hossain against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on the third day of their one-off Test yesterday, Bangladesh ending the day 329 runs in front.

After Mahmud’s five-wicket haul - with a hat-trick thrown in - and Ebadot’s four-for left Afghanistan with a big deficit, Mushfiqur and captain Shanto put up a 159-run fourth-wicket stand, putting the game seemingly beyond Afghanistan’s grasp.

Afghanistan hit back towards the end of the day’s play, though. Both Mushfiqur and Shanto fell in the last seven overs of play, for 81 and 82 respectively, and Mahmud was dismissed too, all of them by spin, but the lead had swelled by the time stumps were called.

Mahmud’s milestones were all the talk in the first half of the day.

Shortly after Ebadot broke the 80-run fifth-wicket stand between Rahmat Shah and Ikram Alikhil in 82nd over, Mahmud came into his own. He cleaned up Ismat Alam with a delivery that kept a tad low. Next ball, Qais Ahmad edged one that needed Litton Das to dive low to his right to complete the catch.

Mahmud produced an excellent delivery for the hat-trick, the ball nipping in from a length to hit Zia-ur-Rehman on the back leg. It was reviewed, which was turned down, and the players celebrated Mahmud becoming the first fast bowler from the country to take a Test hat-trick.

Legspinner Alok Kapali (2003) and offspinner Sohag Gazi (2013) had achieved the feat previously.

Mahmud completed his five-wicket haul with Yamin Ahmadzai’s wicket, which also took him to 50 wickets in Tests in his 17th game.

Scores

Bangladesh 346 and 223 for 6 (Shanto 82, Mushfiqur 81, Ahmadzai 2-42, Zia 2-55) lead Afghanistan 240 (Rahmat 105*, Mahmud 5-51, Ebadot 4-56) by 329 runs