Hasan Mahmud Aims to Restrict Pakistan Around 200 Runs

Pakistan ended the rain-affected first day of the Test match at 158 for 4 wickets. After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, Pakistan struggled early against the Bangladesh pacers, finding themselves at 16 for 3 at one point. However, a resilient 98-run partnership between Saim Ayub and Saud Shakeel helped Pakistan recover from the initial setback.

Hasan Mahmud, who bowled 13 overs on the first day and took 2 wickets for 33 runs, spoke to the media after the day's play. When asked about his target for restricting Pakistan's total, Hasan Mahmud said:

"I haven't thought about it yet. We'll try to restrict them to as few runs as possible. We'll come up with a new plan tomorrow. Our goal will be to bowl in the right areas and take their wickets. We'll aim to keep them around 200 runs."

Bangladesh's captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, won the toss and chose to bowl first. Speaking about the team's plan from the start, Hasan Mahmud explained, "Our plan was to make the batsmen play as much as possible. The new ball was moving, so we tried to bowl fuller and maintain a consistent line. We did our best with what we had. Inshallah, we'll perform even better going forward."

Despite the pace-friendly conditions, Bangladesh opted to play with three pacers instead of four, a decision Hasan Mahmud supports. "I think it's up to the coach and captain. I don't see any problem with playing three pacers," he said.

All four of Pakistan's wickets on the first day were taken by the pacers. When asked if the pacers would continue to get help from the pitch on the second day, Hasan Mahmud replied, "It depends on the sun. If the sun comes out tomorrow, the pitch will harden a bit, and the pacers might get some help. So, it really depends on the sun."

Praising the team's fielding efforts, Hasan Mahmud added, "It's very important to get support from the fielders. The guys were brilliant in the field today, taking some excellent catches. It's great to see, and at the end of the day, they are teammates who were outstanding today."