Rahmat's patient knock keeps Bangladesh toiling at the end of day two

Afghanistan survived a difficult spell after tea to close day two of the Abu Dhabi Test on 211 for four, trailing Bangladesh’s first-innings 346 by 135 runs, with captain Rahmat Shah unbeaten on 84 and closing in on a century.

Afghanistan went to tea on 131 for two, but Bangladesh struck twice soon after the resumption. Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury had opener Abdul Malik caught behind for 62, ending a 70-run stand, and the pressure on the batting side suddenly rose.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz then drew former captain Hashmatullah Shahidi down the pitch, and Litton Das whipped off the bails. Shahidi faced only two balls for a duck, leaving Afghanistan 139 for four and handing Bangladesh a brief opening.

Rahmat and Ikram Alikhil then shut that door. Rahmat reached his seventh Test fifty off 112 balls, and the pair rotated the strike, took boundaries when offered and gave the bowlers little else. Ikram’s patience at the other end proved just as valuable.

Their unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 72 came off 195 balls, and Afghanistan lost no further wicket in the final session. At the close they were 211 for four after 79 overs, with Ikram on 26 off 91 balls and Rahmat on 84 off 186.

Rahmat now has a chance on day three to score his fourth Test century. Ebadot finished with two wickets, while Hasan Mahmud and Miraz took one each, though the bowlers spent much of the evening waiting for a breakthrough that never came.