NEW DELHI: On the second day of the first Test between
Pakistan
and Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, the hosts declared their innings at 448/6, with
Mohammad Rizwan
just 29 runs short of a double century.
Rizwan remained unbeaten on 171 off 239 balls, partnering with vice-captain
Saud Shakeel
, who scored 141, to build a commanding position for Pakistan. The declaration decision by captain
Shan Masood
, which came before Rizwan could achieve his double century, sparked debate among fans.
Social media was abuzz with fans expressing their disappointment that Rizwan was denied the rare feat of a double century. Many believed that Masood should have allowed Rizwan more time, given the strong platform established by the 240-run partnership between Rizwan and Shakeel for the fifth wicket.
In the post-day press conference, Saud Shakeel explained the team’s decision.
"See, as far as Rizwan bhai's double century is concerned, I don't think there was any haste in taking the decision to declare the innings," Shakeel stated. "Rizwan bhai was clearly told an hour before that we would be declaring at this point in time. So, he had an idea of when we would declare. He was told we would try to get near 450 before declaring."
Shakeel emphasized that the decision was strategic and communicated well in advance. He highlighted the importance of the team's position over individual milestones.
"We wanted to ensure we had enough runs on the board to put pressure on Bangladesh and set ourselves up for a win," Shakeel added.
Pakistan are now in a strong position, and Bangladesh face a substantial first-innings deficit and an uphill battle in the remainder of the match.
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