'Equal to a win' - Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah reflects proudly on hard-fought draw against Bangladesh

Afghanistan battled through a deteriorating pitch and Bangladesh's skilful spin attack at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on the fifth and final day of the one-off Test to secure a remarkable draw. Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah described the result as "equal to a win" after his side survived 142 overs in sweltering conditions and escaped with just two wickets in hand.

Sediqullah Atal was the cornerstone of Afghanistan's valiant effort. The left-hander batted for 514 minutes and faced 332 deliveries, crafting a gritty century that left Bangladesh frustrated.

"This draw is equal to a win, actually," Rahmat said after helping Afghanistan secure a memorable result. "Great effort by our boys. If you look at it, we had planned beforehand. Whether it was in the bowling department or the batting department, we followed that plan. If runs were needed, we scored runs, and if we needed to spend time at the crease, we did that. That's why the result went in our favour and ended in a draw."

Rahmat was also full of praise for Atal, lauding the youngster's temperament and adaptability.

"Sediqullah came straight from T20 cricket, and the way he maintained his temperament here, fulfilled the team's requirements and executed the plan was outstanding. That is why we were able to achieve this result."

Afghanistan head coach Richard Pybus also hailed Atal's determined knock and backed him to carry the confidence forward.

"All credit to Sediq for really turning it around," he said. "It was an outstanding innings from him. He had been a little out of touch, so he worked really hard on this innings.

"Credit to him. He's at the beginning of his Test career and has done all the hard work himself. He will carry that confidence forward."

This was only Afghanistan's third meeting with Bangladesh in the red-ball format. Their head-to-head record stands at 1-1.