Bangladesh dominate second Test

Bangladesh took command of the second Test against Pakistan at Sylhet on Sunday, ending day two with a commanding position after a disciplined bowling display and a composed batting effort that stretched their advantage to 156 runs with seven wickets in hand.

The home side, Bangladesh, closed the day at 110 for 3 in their second innings after dismissing Pakistan for 232, securing a 46-run first-innings lead before extending it further under fading light. The final moment of the day brought a setback for Bangladesh when Mominul Haque fell for 30 off the last ball of the session, leaving captain Najmul Hossain Shanto unbeaten on 13 at stumps.

Pakistan's innings had been steadied by a return to form from Babar Azam, who top-scored with 68 on his comeback to the side following injury. However, his effort was not enough to prevent another collapse, as Bangladesh's bowling unit struck in clusters to maintain pressure throughout the day.

The early damage was done by Taskin Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who shared four wickets in the morning session and set the tone for the innings. Taskin's ability to move the ball both ways accounted for the Pakistan openers, removing Fazal for 13 and Azan Awais for 9. Mehidy then joined the attack, dismissing captain Shan Masood for 21 with a sharp catch in the covers before trapping Saud Shakeel, who continued his poor tour with another low score.

From there, Pakistan struggled to rebuild as Bangladesh's spin and pace combination tightened control. Nahid Rana and Taijul Islam each claimed three wickets in a sustained assault that exposed Pakistan's lower order and prevented any meaningful recovery.

A key passage came when Babar Azam and Salman Agha added 63 runs for the fifth wicket, briefly stabilising the innings. Babar drove fluently through the off side and found rhythm with crisp square cuts, while Agha supported with a cautious but useful 21. Yet just as Pakistan looked to regain balance, Babar edged a tentative stroke off Rana to mid-on, ending the partnership.

Taijul Islam then accelerated the collapse, removing Agha at deep square leg before clean bowling Mohammad Rizwan for 13, as Pakistan's batting order unravelled again under pressure. Hasan Ali followed soon after, edging to mid-on where Rana completed a tumbling catch.

Pakistan's tail briefly fought back through Sajid Khan, who injected late resistance with aggressive stroke play. He struck four sixes in total, including three in a single over off Taijul that cost 19 runs, but his counterattack only delayed the inevitable. Sajid finished on 38 from 28 balls before being caught at fly slip off Rana, leaving Pakistan all out shortly after tea.

Earlier in the day, Bangladesh's reply to Pakistan's 232 had been built on aggressive intent from Mahmudul Hasan Joy. After a first-innings duck, Mahmudul responded with a fluent half-century, reaching his sixth Test fifty off just 58 balls. He struck confidently through the off side, driving crisply through cover and finding regular boundaries behind square.

His innings included a string of well-timed cover drives and sharp placement through fine leg, as he capitalised on a slow outfield to keep the scoreboard moving. However, he fell soon after reaching his milestone, edging a loose shot to Abdullah Fazal at square leg off Mohammad Abbas.

Khurram Shahzad provided Pakistan with a brief breakthrough earlier in the innings when he dismissed debutant Tanzid Hasan for 4, squared up and caught at gully by Saud Shakeel.

Despite that early wicket, Bangladesh maintained momentum, with Mahmudul and the middle order ensuring a steady scoring rate. With Shanto still at the crease and conditions expected to remain batting-friendly early on day three, Bangladesh will look to push the lead beyond Pakistan's reach and tighten their grip on the Test.