Shadman’s 93 was one of the best innings I’ve ever seen: Mominul

Due to an injury, Bangladesh’s regular opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy was ruled out of the first Test. Sadman Islam was selected as his replacement in the playing eleven. After nearly two and a half years, Sadman made a remarkable return with an impressive innings of 93 runs. Despite missing out on a century, Sadman’s innings helped Bangladesh reach 316 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 92 overs by the end of the third day. At the end of the day, Sadman received widespread praise, with his innings being considered one of the best by the experienced Mominul Haque.

After the third day's play on Friday, batsman Mominul Haque spoke to the media, praising Sadman Islam's responsible batting. Mominul said, “Sadman’s innings of 93 is one of the best I have seen. Playing against four fast bowlers on foreign soil, all of whom are excellent, and the way he played against them was extraordinary. Zakir couldn’t score big, but he contributed while he was at the crease. Towards the end, Liton’s aggressive batting brought the game into our favor.”

The opening partnership between Sadman Islam and Zakir Ali yielded 32 runs. While the total is not very high, the key was that no wickets fell towards the end of the second day. Mominul Haque views these 32 runs as significant:

“I believe the tone of the game was set by the fact that we did not lose a wicket in the 12 overs yesterday. Both Zakir and Sadman started very well. Zakir might not have scored many runs, but he played the way it was needed at that time. Both openers set a good tone for the game.”

Pakistan scored a massive 448 runs in their first innings. In response, Bangladesh’s batters fought back strongly, and by the end of the third day, Bangladesh is still in a position to continue the fight. When asked if Bangladesh aims to put Pakistan under pressure with a substantial lead, Mominul responded:

“Pakistan batted really well and scored 448 runs, which is not easy. The pitch had some movement. We definitely do not want to lose any wickets in the first session tomorrow. The first session is crucial for every team as everyone wants to start the day afresh. If we can build a good partnership in the first hour while keeping our wickets intact, it will be beneficial for us.”