Bangladesh is closing in on victory in the Abu Dhabi Test, requiring seven more wickets on the final day to secure a win. Afghanistan, faced with an uphill battle, needs 347 more runs to reach their target of 479. While both sides theoretically have a path to success, the Afghan task of scoring 347 runs on the fifth day represents a mountain of a challenge compared to the relatively straightforward prospect for the Tigers to claim the remaining wickets.
Play resumed on Tuesday at Zayed Stadium with Bangladesh starting at 223/6. They added 149 runs for the loss of only one wicket before declaring their second innings at 372/7. In response, Afghanistan ended the day at 132/3, with Sediqullah Atal batting on 35 and Hashmatullah Shahidi on 19. Earlier in the match, Bangladesh scored 346 in their first innings, while Afghanistan managed 240.
The day began with a stroke of luck for Litton Das, who was dropped twice in the early stages—once by an Afghan fielder at slip off Qais Ahmad and later by Qais himself. He also survived a missed catch-behind decision due to the absence of a review. Capitalizing on these reprieves, Litton went on to score 102 off 115 balls, marking his seventh career Test century. This milestone also saw him surpass 9,000 runs in international cricket.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz also contributed with a solid 52 off 97 balls before Bangladesh declared shortly after Litton’s dismissal. Litton’s performance wasn’t limited to his batting; his work behind the stumps has been historic. By taking the catch to dismiss Rahmat Shah—who contributed 51 runs off 124 balls—Litton set a new record for the most dismissals by a Bangladeshi wicketkeeper in a single Test, with eight total, eclipsing Khaled Mashud Pilot’s 2004 record of seven against Zimbabwe.
The Afghan second innings saw early setbacks, with Ebadot Hossain dismissing Abdul Malik (2) to reach his 50th Test wicket. Hasan Mahmud then claimed the wicket of Shahidullah (14). Despite these losses, a partnership between Atal and Rahmat helped steady the side until Ebadot eventually broke through to dismiss Rahmat.
Match statistics for the teams: Bangladesh (346 & 372/7 declared) featured contributions from Shadman (13), Tanzid (31), Mominul (7), Shanto (82), Mushfiqur (81), Litton (102), Hasan (1), and Miraz (52*). Afghan bowling saw Yamin (2/96), Saleem (2/69), Zia (2/86), and Qais (1/70) among the wickets. Afghanistan (240 & 132/3) saw efforts from Malik (2), Atal (35*), Shahidullah (14), Rahmat (51), and Hashmatullah (19), with bowling figures for Hasan (1/31) and Ebadot (2/32).
