Mushfiqur, Liton stand helps stay in Pakistan Test

Bangladesh batters shined in impeccably to keep the side battle neck-to-neck with Pakistan on Day 3 of the two-match series opening Test at Rawalpindi on Friday.

Opener Shadman Islam made a patient 93, missing out his well-deserved ton by 7 runs while fifties from Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das helped Bangladesh reach 316-5 at stumps.

To the further delight of Bangladesh, well-set batters Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das are in the crease with 55 and 52 run respectively as the visitors are trailing by 132 runs. Pakistan declared its first innings on 448-6.

Bangladesh's slow but steady progress towards Pakistan's mammoth total was dented twice in the post-Lunch session as both the set batters Mominul Haque and Shadman Islam were sent packing. 

Shadman was just seven short of his second Test hundred when Mohammad Ali got a ball to sneak past the batter's defence to shatter the stumps. His dismissal brought an end to the second session with Bangladesh on 199 for 4, trailing Pakistan by 249 runs.

Mominul and Shadman attempted to put together largely more of what they pulled off in three-hour morning session where they defied a bowling attack looking for early inroads. They saw the back of opener Zakir Hasan and captain Najmul Hossain but the third-wicket alliance lasted entire session, and beyond even as it came at a very slow pace.

Brief scores: Bangladesh 199/4 (Shadman Islam 93, Mominul Haque 50; Khurram Shahzad 2-36) trail Pakistan 448/6 decl. by 249 runs.