BAN vs PAK: Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque steer Bangladesh to dominant position on day 1 of Mirpur Test

Bangladesh took the honours home on day 1 of the first Test against Pakistan as they posted 301/4 at stumps in Mirpur on the back of a century by skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and a composed 91 by Mominul Haque.

Pakistan skipper Shan Masood chose to put Bangladesh in after winning the toss and allowed his three-pronged seam attack comprising Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Abbas and Hasan Ali to have a crack at the hosts on a pitch with a green tinge to it.

Pakistan handed debut caps to Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal. They were forced to bring Fazal in after Babar Azam was ruled out on the eve of the game with a left knee injury.

Shan's decision seemed the right one after Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali struck in the first 11 overs and removed both Bangladesh openers, Shadman Islam and Mahmudul Hasan Joy.

The Pakistan seamers had their tails up, but before they could penetrate any deeper, Mominul Haque and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto joined hands and weathered the storm.

Pakistan were made to rue one missed opportunity when an edge from Mominul's willow went between Fazal and Salman Ali Agha and was not accepted. As conditions eased, the Bangladesh pair carefully laid down the foundation of a solid partnership.

Shanto didn't hesitate in playing his strokes and was quick to pounce on anything drivable through the covers. The duo went into lunch unbeaten and came back with a much more voracious appetite than before. Shanto scored his first Test ton against Pakistan and dominated the proceedings, smacking 12 fours and two sixes.

Najmul Hossain Shanto 💯A captain’s knock under pressure. Calm, calculated, and built the hard way 🏏 pic.twitter.com/Pvrhe93GOw

— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) May 8, 2026

His innings came to an end on 101 after he was pinned in front of his stumps with a nip-backer from Mohammad Abbas. Unfazed by the loss of his partner, Mominul added 75 runs for the fourth wicket with former captain Mushfiqur Rahim and didn't allow the tourists to seize the moment.

A lapse in concentration cost Mominul the 14th Test ton of his career. He was struck on the leg stump by an innocuous delivery from left-arm orthodox Noman Ali and had to depart for a resilient 91.

Mushfiqur Rahim looked unmoved at the end and was just two runs shy of his half-century when the umpires called for stumps. Bangladesh will have high hopes from the pair of Rahim and Litton Das to take them to a huge total when play resumes on day 2.

Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Ebadot Hossain

Pakistan: Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Fazal, Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Noman Ali, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Abbas