Dubai, Oct 5 (V7N) – Bangladesh prepared well ahead of the Afghanistan Test with a two-day match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which ended in a draw at the ICC Academy Oval in Dubai.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Bangladesh put up 234 in 78.1 overs before being all out. Shadman Islam and Soumya Sarkar gave them a strong start with a 108-run opening stand. Soumya retired after scoring 57, while Shadman made 46 off 95 balls. Mominul Haque added 33 before being bowled, while Naeem Hasan contributed 36 as Bangladesh lost wickets at regular intervals. UAE's Junaid Siddiqui was the most successful bowler, taking three wickets.
The UAE responded with 222 in 53.5 overs, with Wasim Muhammad top-scoring with 69 and Aftab Alam making 56. Bangladesh's Iqbal Hossain Emon took 4-30, while left-arm spinner Taijul Islam claimed 3-58.
Bangladesh began their second innings with a 12-run lead and reached 114-3 in 26.5 overs before the scheduled two days of play ended. Mushfiqur Rahim scored 44 off 53 balls, while Shadman made 32 and Mominul contributed 24. Bangladesh finished the match with an overall lead of 126 runs, with both sides agreeing to a draw.
The warm-up match provided valuable practice for Bangladesh ahead of their Test against Afghanistan, which is part of the ICC World Test Championship. The team will be looking to carry the momentum from their recent performances, including their historic Test victory against Australia in Darwin. Bangladesh currently sit fourth in the WTC standings and have a genuine chance to reach the final for the first time.
