Azan Awais played a magnificent innings of 104 runs on his Test debut, but it was not enough to prevent Bangladesh from taking control of the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. At stumps on day three, Bangladesh were 151 for 2 in their second innings, leading by 89 runs with eight wickets in hand.
Azan's fighting century
The 19-year-old Azan became the 13th Pakistani to score a century on Test debut. His knock of 104 came off 248 balls, including 12 boundaries. He was the last man out for Pakistan, who were bowled out for 274 in their first innings, conceding a lead of 62 runs. Azan shared crucial partnerships with Mohammad Rizwan (51) and Agha Salman (35) to help Pakistan avoid a bigger deficit.
Miraz's all-round brilliance
Mehidy Hasan Miraz was the star for Bangladesh, first scoring 77 runs in the first innings and then taking 3 for 47 with his off-spin. In the first innings, Miraz had already taken 4 wickets for 66 runs. His batting helped Bangladesh post 336 in their first innings, with Litton Das (94) and Mominul Haque (67) also making significant contributions.
Bangladesh's second innings
In their second innings, Bangladesh openers Zakir Hasan (44) and Shadman Islam (45) gave the team a solid start, adding 84 runs for the first wicket. After both openers fell, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (32 not out) and Mominul Haque (17 not out) steadied the innings. Bangladesh now have a lead of 89 runs and will look to set Pakistan a challenging target on day four.
Pakistan's bowling woes
Pakistan's bowlers struggled to make inroads, with only Naseem Shah (1 for 28) and Abrar Ahmed (1 for 33) picking up wickets. The pitch is showing signs of wear, and Bangladesh's spinners, particularly Miraz, will be a threat in the fourth innings.
The match is evenly poised, but Bangladesh have the upper hand. Pakistan will need early wickets on day four to stay in the contest.
