Hasan Mahmud’s five-wicket haul and Ebadot Hossain’s four-wicket return put Bangladesh firmly on top at lunch on day three of the Abu Dhabi Test on October 11. Afghanistan were bowled out for 240, and Bangladesh lead by 150 runs at 44/2.
Afghanistan resumed on 211/4, 135 runs behind, with Rahmat Shah on 84 and Ikram Alikhil on 24 after an unbroken 72-run stand. Bangladesh took the second new ball early in the day, and four wickets fell within three overs of it.
Ebadot Hossain made the breakthrough in the third over. His delivery swung back in from the channel and went through the gap between Ikram Alikhil’s bat and pad to hit the stumps, ending an 80-run partnership of 211 balls and giving him a third wicket.
Hasan Mahmud then took three wickets in three balls in the 83rd over. He bowled Ismat Alam, Litton Das dived to hold a one-handed edge from Qais Ahmad, and a successful review, after the umpire had refused the appeal, removed Zia-ur-Rehman lbw.
It was Bangladesh’s third Test hat-trick after Alok Kapali against Pakistan in 2003 and Sohag Gazi against New Zealand in 2013, and the first by a Bangladeshi pacer. It was also the 50th hat-trick in Test history and the first of this year.
Hasan completed his five-wicket haul when Yamin Ahmadzai edged behind to Litton Das at 223/9, finishing with 5/55 from 21 overs. It was his fourth Test five-for, following nine wickets in the Darwin Test, and his 50th wicket in the format.
Rahmat Shah reached his fourth Test hundred off 215 balls with a six and a four off Hasan, in his first Test as captain. He finished unbeaten on 105 from 216 balls, with ten fours and two sixes, his second century against Bangladesh.
Rahmat’s decision to hit a boundary instead of taking a single off the final ball of an over proved costly, as Ebadot had Mohammad Salim caught behind next ball. Afghanistan lost six wickets for 29 runs, and the last four batters made ducks.
Ebadot ended with 4/56 from 15.1 overs, completing Afghanistan’s slide and handing Bangladesh a 106-run lead over their own 346, which had been built on Tanzid Hasan’s 83 and Shadman Islam’s 67.
Afghanistan wasted a review in the second over of Bangladesh’s reply. Salim appealed for a catch behind when Tanzid Hasan missed a leg-side flick that hit his thigh pad, but the umpire declined and the referral confirmed it, leaving Bangladesh six without loss.
Shadman Islam fell to a Salim short ball for the second time in the match. Attempting a big hit, he picked out Rahmat Shah at deep square leg for 13 off 22 balls, ending a 31-run stand off 45 balls with Tanzid Hasan.
Mominul Haque followed in the final over before lunch, edging a Yamin Ahmadzai delivery outside off stump to first slip, where Sedikullah Atal dived to his right to take a sharp catch. Mominul made seven from 14 balls, leaving Tanzid unbeaten on 24 off 28.