Despite a brilliant and aggressive opening start against Afghanistan in the sole Test, Bangladesh suffered a mid-order batting collapse, squandering the opportunity to post a mammoth total. At stumps on Day 1, the Tigers finished at 317 for the loss of 8 wickets.
Opting to bat first, Bangladesh took the field at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Friday (October 9, 2026).
Key turning points and highlights from the opening day of the Test match include:
Record 124-Run Opening Partnership: Openers Tanzid Tamim and Sadman Islam came out firing on all cylinders, applying early pressure on the Afghan bowling attack. Tanzid played with supreme confidence, racing to his half-century in just 41 balls, while Sadman provided a steady anchor at the other end. Together, they comfortably drove Bangladesh past the hundred-run mark without losing a wicket.
Dismissals of Tanzid and Sadman: The 124-run stand was finally broken when the aggressive Tanzid Tamim fell to Ismat Alam after scoring a brilliant 83. Sadman soon followed after reaching his half-century, departing for 67, leaving Bangladesh at 184/2.
Middle-Order Slump: Following the openers’ departure, Bangladesh suffered a steady collapse of wickets. Set batters failed to convert their starts into big innings, with Mominul Haque contributing 39, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto adding 29, and veteran Mushfiqur Rahim falling for a duck.
Liton Das’s Fighting Half-Century: Amidst the middle-order slide, Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz attempted to repair the innings. Although Miraz was dismissed for 24, Liton played a responsible knock to secure a well-earned fifty. However, his dismissal for 53 late in the day left the Tigers struggling to capitalize on their initial dominance.
