Sediqullah Atal was 66 not out off 216 balls at lunch on day 5 as Afghanistan reached 203 for 4, still needing 276 to chase 479 against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi.
Bangladesh have three wickets from Ebadot Hossain and still no breakthrough that matters. At lunch on day 5 of the only Test in Abu Dhabi, Sediqullah Atal was unbeaten on 66 off 216 balls, and Afghanistan were 203 for 4, needing 276 more to reach a target of 479.
| At a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Match | Afghanistan v Bangladesh, only Test, Abu Dhabi, 9 to 13 October 2026 |
| Bangladesh | 346 and 372 for 7 declared |
| Afghanistan | 240 and 203 for 4 at lunch on day 5 |
| Target | 479, with 276 still needed and a minimum of 60 overs left in the match |
| At the crease | Sediqullah Atal 66*, Ismat Alam 0* |
| Best bowler so far | Ebadot Hossain 3 for 40 |
Atal digs in
Atal reached his fifty off 166 balls, a measure of how slowly this innings has been built. He did find the boundary rope over the top, hitting two sixes off Taijul Islam, and he survived a near hit-wicket along the way. He also took a blow on the elbow from an Ebadot delivery and carried on. He had resumed the day on 35 not out, the score at stumps on day 4, when Afghanistan were 132 for 3.
Ebadot's three
Ebadot has been the most persistent of the Bangladesh attack. He had Abdul Malik caught behind on day 4, then Rahmat Shah, on 51, edged behind to Litton Das. Just before lunch on day 5 he removed Ikram Alikhil for 33, caught by Litton down the leg side. Atal and Ikram had added 66 for the fourth wicket. Shahidullah Kamal, who made 19, had earlier been caught behind off Hasan Mahmud on day 4.
Shahidi retires hurt
Hashmatullah Shahidi, who was 19 not out overnight, retired hurt in the third over of the morning after a throw from Hasan Mahmud struck him. That left Afghanistan with one fewer recognised batter to call on for the rest of the chase, and put more weight on Atal and Ismat Alam after lunch.
Records in the match
Two milestones came up in the report. Litton Das became the first wicketkeeper to complete nine dismissals plus a century and a fifty in a single Test. His eighth dismissal set a new Bangladesh wicketkeeping record for a Test, passing the seven by Khaled Mashud against Zimbabwe in February 2004. On the Afghanistan side, Rahmat Shah became only the sixth cricketer to score a century and a fifty on captaincy debut, with 105 not out in the first innings and 51 in the second.
How Bangladesh got here
Bangladesh declared their second innings on 372 for 7, with Litton Das making 102, Najmul Hossain Shanto 82 and Mushfiqur Rahim 81. That set Afghanistan 479 to win after they had been bowled out for 240 in reply to Bangladesh's 346.
The match report is by ESPNcricinfo (Mohammad Isam), with details cross-checked against other live coverage. Read the full report on ESPNcricinfo. ESPNcricinfo.
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