Rahmat Shah’s Unbeaten 84 Guides Afghanistan Against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi Test

ABU DHABI: Afghanistan’s skipper Rahmat Shah played a resilient innings of 84 not out, helping his team reach 211-4 on the second day of the one-off Test against Bangladesh at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Saturday.

Rahmat’s performance came on a challenging day marked by hot and dry conditions, as he faced a determined Bangladeshi bowling attack. His innings brought Afghanistan within 135 runs of Bangladesh’s first innings total of 346. After Bangladesh resumed their innings at 317-8, they could only add 29 runs in the first session, highlighting the effectiveness of Afghanistan’s bowling.

The match took a pivotal turn when Rahmat formed a crucial partnership of 70 runs for the third wicket with Abdul Malik, who contributed a steady 62 runs. Following the dismissals of opener Sediqullah Atal for 17 and Shahidullah Kamal for 20, Rahmat’s leadership on the field became vital in steering Afghanistan’s innings.

As the day concluded, Rahmat had faced 186 balls, while wicket-keeper Ikram Alikhil remained unbeaten on 26. The early breakthroughs by Bangladesh’s pace duo of Hasan Mahmud and Ebadot Hossain put Afghanistan under pressure, but Rahmat and Malik’s resilience prevented further losses, setting the stage for a competitive chase.