Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah says surviving 142 overs in Abu Dhabi was worth a win, while coach Richard Pybus credits Sediqullah Atal and jokes that Qais Ahmad ignored his advice.
Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah did not need long to put a label on the Abu Dhabi Test. "This draw is equal to a win," he said after his side batted out the final day against Bangladesh, finishing on 346/8 in 142 overs while chasing 479.
| At a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Match | One-off Test, Afghanistan v Bangladesh, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, 9 to 13 October 2026 |
| Result | Match drawn |
| Bangladesh | 346 and 372/7 declared |
| Afghanistan | 240 and 346/8 in 142 overs (target 479) |
| Top scorers | Sediqullah Atal 111, Rahmat Shah 105 and 51, Qais Ahmad 49* |
| Player of the Match | Litton Das (53, 102 and 8 catches) |
The escape and Atal's innings
Afghanistan resumed on the last morning at 132/3 and had to bat 92 overs to survive. Sediqullah Atal did the heavy lifting with 111 off 332 balls, nine fours and three sixes across 514 minutes. It was his maiden Test hundred, and it made him the first Afghanistan batter to score a fourth-innings Test century. He reached three figures off 277 balls and fell to Tanzid Hasan's catch off Taijul Islam in the 119th over, with 23 overs still to go.
Hashmatullah Shahidi made 36, retiring hurt on 20 after a throw from Hasan Mahmud hit his knee, then returning before Mehidy Hasan Miraz removed him. Ikram Alikhil added 33 and Yamin Ahmadzai 19. Qais Ahmad then walked in at No. 9 and hit an unbeaten 49 off 80 balls, with six fours and three sixes, including two sixes in the last over and one off the final ball of the match. It was his highest Test score, and he spent almost an hour and a half at the crease. Zia-ur-Rehman finished on 0*.
Ebadot Hossain (3 for 50) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (3 for 73) shared six wickets for Bangladesh, with Taijul Islam taking 1 for 112 and Hasan Mahmud 1 for 66.
Rahmat's verdict
Rahmat had scored 105 in the first innings, his first as Afghanistan's Test captain, and added 51 off 124 balls in the second. He said the plan was simple: bat long periods, stay patient, ignore dot balls and maidens, and bat all day. Batting more than 140 overs and over seven hours was, in his words, "a great achievement", with patience, playing straight and discipline the keys.
He singled out Atal, who came into the Test fresh from the T20s. Rahmat praised the composure with which Atal did what the team needed and executed it, and said that is why Afghanistan got the result. He was also pleased that two players made centuries, others chipped in with half-centuries and vital partnerships, and the tail batted well and sensibly. An outstanding effort by all, he called it.
Pybus's verdict
Head coach Richard Pybus was just as warm on Atal. "All credit to Sediq for really turning it around," he said. Pybus called it an outstanding innings from a batter who had been a little out of touch and worked really hard on it, and said someone at the start of his Test career will carry that confidence forward.
On the day itself, Pybus said the squad managed its emotions well. With a chase of 479, there came a point where they were batting to hold out for a good draw.
Then came Qais. Pybus had suggested defending strongly with willpower and thought Qais was trying to channel Ben Stokes and chase down a total that was never gettable. "Qais paid absolutely no attention to my advice whatsoever," Pybus said. Qais played his own game, produced a cameo and fought incredibly hard, like the whole side.
Why it matters
This is the first time Afghanistan have avoided defeat against a WTC team in a Test since their win over Bangladesh in Chattogram in September 2019, leaving aside the washed-out New Zealand Test in Greater Noida in September 2024.
The story comes from Mohammad Isam's report on ESPNcricinfo, with details checked against Cricbuzz. Read the full piece on ESPNcricinfo. ESPNcricinfo.
Second source: Cricbuzz on Rahmat Shah's "equal to a win" reaction. Cricbuzz.
BuildXI is a fan game, not affiliated with the IPL or the BCCI, where you run your own draft from IPL history: spin eleven real IPL squads from 2008 to 2025, pick one player from each and play fourteen league matches. The target is 14-0.