Taskin strikes early, but Saim and Masood lead Pakistan's recovery
Taskin Ahmed’s brilliant first-over dismissal of Abdullah Shafique gave Bangladesh a dream start, but Saim Ayub and captain Shan Masood steadied the ship, guiding Pakistan to 99 for one at lunch.
In a rain-affected second Test at Rawalpindi, where the entire first day was washed out, Pakistan made a strong recovery on the second day after an early setback.
With the second day finally underway after the first day was lost to rain, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bowl.
However, they had to make a change to their lineup, bringing in Taskin Ahmed to replace the injured Shariful Islam, who sustained a slight groin strain.
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Taskin wasted no time making an impact, clean-bowling Shafique for a duck in the very first over with a delivery that swung sharply and crashed into the stumps.
Despite the early loss, Saim Ayub and Shan Masood regrouped effectively. The duo gradually built a strong partnership, with Masood reaching his half-century just before the lunch break.Their steady progress frustrated the Bangladeshi bowlers, who had initially made good use of the early swing and bounce.
By lunch, Saim was unbeaten on 43, while Masood remained not out on 53, with the pair only one run short of a 100-run second-wicket partnership.
The early breakthrough by Taskin set the tone for the morning, but Pakistan's batting pair managed to navigate the testing conditions and ensure that they went into the break in a comfortable position.
