Naseem Shah becomes youngest to take hat-trick as Bangladesh collapse dramatically

Naseem Shah is congratulated by his teammates – Getty Images

Bangladesh had their best day of the Test, and were close to being the team that made most progress on the day, before a late hat-trick from 16-year-old Naseem Shah triggered a collapse where they lost four wickets for two runs. They were left reeling at stumps, 86 behind with only four wickets in hand. Naseem became the youngest man to take a Test hat-trick.

All three of Naseem’s hat-trick wickets were built around his express pace. He burst one through Najmul Hossain Shanto’s defences from around the wicket, and had some assistance from captain Azhar Ali who successfully reviewed a not-out decision on the lbw. Next ball, he caught nightwatchman Taijul Islam in front with a yorker, before firing a full straight delivery outside off that was met with an ungainly chop from Mahmudullah which ended up at first slip.

Naseem walked off the pitch two balls after that over with a niggle, but he had significantly dented Bangladesh. As if the score of 126 for 5 didn’t make that evident, Mohammad Mithun, the highest-scorer in the first innings, managed to confirm it entirely: he was out bowled, trying to slog a Yasir Shah googly one ball before stumps.

It was a sour end for Bangladesh, who were on course for finishing a good day with wickets in hand and more than half the deficit erased as Shanto and Mominul Haque looked solid through a 71-run stand for the third wicket. Earlier in the day, they had allowed Pakistan to add only 103 to their overnight score of 342 for 3.

The last session began with Tamim Iqbal showing glimpses of the form that helped him make a triple-century in first-class cricket at the start of the month. But Yasir’s introduction straight after tea proved pivotal in dismissing him, as the legspinner’s around the wicket, jumpy deliveries had Tamim in two minds throughout the short period during which he faced Yasir. Having just survived a top-edge trying to slog sweep him, Tamim ended up playing the wrong line on the back foot and was trapped in front soon after. Yasir, who has notoriously been off-colour in recent Tests, as well as in the first innings of this one, looked to have found some of his old verve back during that spell. But Shanto and Mominul – both – were resolute in defence against his around-the-wicket line, and confident in attack.  Mominul took the more orthodox scoring options, preferring to hit straight, including a clean lofted-drive over mid-on. Shanto, on the other hand, was keener on the sweep, including a perfectly nailed reverse-sweep from the rough outside off. But only Mominul made it to stumps.

Naseem had earlier got one ball to stay low in the corridor at the start of his spell, and then bowled debutant Saif Hassan for 16, having pinned him to the crease. But, barring that ball, the surface continued to look batting friendly as Pakistan’s fast bowlers found nowhere near the same assistance that Bangladesh’s seamers had found in the morning.

In the first session, Bangladesh’s seamers led the delayed resistance from the visitors, picking up three wickets as the four-over old ball hooped around in the first hour. Abu Jayed, who took two of the three wickets that had fallen on Saturday, caught overnight centurion Babar Azam halfway between a cut and a leave off the second ball of the day to have him caught at first slip.

Ebadat Hossain’s struggles from day two seemed to have vanished and for the first time in the match, Mominul was able to apply sustained pressure on Pakistan. Ebadat bowled nine overs in his first spell, seven of those in tandem with Jayed, and by the end of the period, Asad Shafiq, the other overnight batsman, had fallen for 65.

Rubel Hossain, who took three wickets, had Mohammad Rizwan top-edging to fine leg off his first ball of the day and Pakistan were reduced to 374 for 6. Haris Sohail then made a counterattacking 75 off 103 and made the bulk of the 71 runs added by the last four wickets as the lower order crumbled around him.

After some general watchfulness at the start, Sohail opened up following Rizwan’s wicket. From 12 off 39 at the drinks break in the first session, Sohail raced to his 50 off 71 balls, helped along by a non-appeal when he had edged a delivery at the start of this innings.

He extended his first two-digit score since the recently-concluded Australia series into a brisk, positive knock at a strike rate just shy of 73. Sohail’s innings was characterised by handsome driving through the covers, and most of his rare runs through the leg side came off two sixes against the left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, with quick feet to get to the pitch of tossed up deliveries. He hit seven fours and two sixes before holing out at deep midwicket to Taijul.