Shanto, Mushfiqur push Bangladesh's lead after Hasan Mahmud hattrick

The effect of Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah’s century was quickly diluted as Bangladesh took a firm hold over the Abu Dhabi Test on Day 3. Hasan Mahmud's hat trick sparked a lower-order collapse as Bangladesh took a 106-run lead in the first inning.

In extremely hot conditions, Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto then put on a resilient 159-run partnership to extend their lead past 300.

Afghanistan started the day at 211/4, but they were quickly greeted by the second new ball and a variable surface. Ebadot Hossain pulled Ibrahim Alikhil, who had played 102 balls, into a stroke. The very next over, the new cherry was used with devastating effect by Mahmud, who first took out Ismat Alam’s stumps, and then induced two edges to snatch a hat-trick. It made him the first Bangladesh seamer to achieve the feat in Test cricket.

Suddenly out of partners, Rahmat continued to patiently hold one end. After that, Mahmud picked up another, completing his fourth five-wicket haul and becoming Bangladesh's fastest player to score 50 Test wickets.

Rahmat scored his fourth Test hundred by smashing Mahmud for an inside-out six and a four in the absence of any support. He hit another four to give the over 14 runs, a brief glimmer of hope before the innings ended. Afghanistan was completely out for 240 by 219/4.

Armed with a sizeable lead, Bangladesh began positively: Tanzid Hasan Tamim cracked four boundaries in a single Yamin Ahmadzai over, using his feet to go hard against the new ball. Shadman Islam was stopped by a short ball from Mohammad Safi, who was playing quietly from the opposite end. A mistimed pull reached deep square-leg, seemingly placed for exactly that stroke.

When Ahmadzai's late swing forced Mominul Haque to edge to slips, the initial excitement subsided. Still, at Lunch, Bangladesh had the upper hand.

Because of his stoic defense, Rahim, a master of attritional batting, was unable to really challenge them. Rahim batted quickly for a brief time when spin was introduced, going from 28 off 41 to 41 off 51 before settling down once more. Later, Zia-ur-Rehman was deemed lbw for an attempt to lap-sweep, but replays showed that a portion of the bat was also in play.

When an outside edge fell just short of first slip, Shanto was able to escape. He was more disengaged among the two, reaching his fifty in 135 balls, having hit just three fours from those. The frontline spinners of Afghanistan did not really maintain consistent lengths, allowing the two to freely move around their crease.

Towards the end of the day, Afghanistan finally found some reasons to celebrate. Rahim departed trying to work the ball on the leg-side, sending a top-edge to slip. Qais's magical ball showed how the pitch had worn out by turning sharply outside toward Shanto Castle. Mahmud from Nightwatch also left shortly thereafter. But the lead had grown significantly by then.