Afghanistan batted through an action-packed final day to draw the one-off Test against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi, finishing on 346/8 after being set 479 to win. Sediqullah Atal’s 111 off 332 balls, his maiden Test hundred, anchored the effort before Qais Ahmad’s unbeaten 49 off 80 saw the side through a tense final session. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Ebadot Hossain took three wickets each, but fielding lapses on the final day cost Bangladesh.
Resuming on 132/3, Afghanistan lost Hashmatullah Shahidi early in the morning when a throw from the deep struck him on the right knee, forcing him to retire hurt. Atal and Ikram Alikhil then batted through most of the first session on a pitch that offered little, with Taijul Islam only occasionally getting the ball to kick up from the rough.
Atal reached his fifty off 166 balls and survived a missed stumping on 70 later in the day, when Litton Das fumbled the chance off Taijul.
Ebadot’s short-ball plan brought the breakthrough just before Lunch, bringing an end to a 66-run stand, when Alikhil gloved a pull down the leg side and Litton dived to his right to take a one-handed catch. Bangladesh took the second new ball soon after Lunch but could not separate Atal and Ismat Alam, who made just 4 off 60 balls.
Atal brought up his hundred with a pull off Hasan Mahmud in the 97th over, becoming the first Afghanistan batter to score a Test century in the fourth innings. Mehidy struck the next over, with Alam’s edge deflecting off Litton’s pad to Najmul Hossain Shanto at slip. Shahidi, who had retired hurt in the morning, returned to bat and made 36 off 69 before holing out to Hasan off Mehidy just before Tea, leaving Afghanistan at 265/6.
Atal’s innings ended eleven overs into the final session, when a faint edge off Taijul lobbed off his pad to Tanzid Hasan at short leg.
At 281/7, with around 23 overs remaining, Bangladesh were on top, but their fielding let them down. Yamin Ahmadzai’s inside edge rolled onto the stumps without dislodging the bails, and two run-out chances were missed off consecutive balls in the next over. Qais was dropped at silly point and again by Hasan at deep mid-wicket off Mehidy. Qais and Ahmadzai added 45 off 110 balls before Mominul Haque took a diving catch at short leg to remove Ahmadzai for 19 with five overs left.
Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar blocked out 12 balls without scoring, while Qais took a lengthy break for treatment on his hamstring in the closing overs. He struck Taijul for two sixes in the final over to finish unbeaten on 49.
Brief Scores: Bangladesh 346 & 372/7d drew with Afghanistan 240 & 346/8 (Sediqullah Atal 111; Ebadot Hossain 3-50, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 3-73)