In their only Test match against Bangladesh, Afghanistan was dealt a heavy blow on the first day of the match as Bangladesh dominated with a score of 362 for 5 wickets. The highlight of the day was Najmul Hossain’s century, which he achieved in just 118 balls. The left-handed batsman smashed 23 fours and 2 sixes to score 146 runs, while his partner, opener Mahmudullah, scored 76 runs.
Najmul and Mahmudullah shared a 212-run partnership for the second wicket, which set the tone for Bangladesh’s dominance. After Mahmudullah’s dismissal, Najmul continued to score runs at a brisk pace, hitting boundaries at will. He reached his century in just 83 balls, becoming the third Bangladeshi batsman to score a century on debut.
Afghanistan won the toss and elected to field first, but their decision backfired as Bangladesh’s batsmen took advantage of the flat pitch and scored runs at a quick rate. Mehidy Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim were at the crease when the day’s play ended, with scores of 43 and 41 runs respectively.
Despite the early dismissal of opener Jaakir Hasan by Afghanistan’s debutant Nijat Masood, Bangladesh’s batsmen continued to score runs at a steady pace. They scored at a run rate of over 4.5 runs per over, which helped them to post a mammoth total on the first day of the match.
Najmul’s century was a testament to his aggressive batting style, and it showed that he has the potential to become a top-class batsman in the future. His performance was also a morale booster for Bangladesh, who are looking to improve their Test rankings.
