Afghanistan vs Bangladesh Test: 346 For 8 Saves The Draw In Abu Dhabi

The Afghanistan vs Bangladesh Test ended in a draw in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Afghanistan batted out 142 overs and closed on 346 for 8 against a target of 479. Sediqullah Atal made 111 from 332 balls for his maiden Test century. Qais Ahmad finished 49 not out.

Bangladesh had declared their second innings on 372 for 7. Afghanistan never went after the target. They blocked and left instead, and the ninth wicket pair were still at the crease at the close.

Atal's 332 balls

Atal batted for eight hours and 34 minutes, IANS reported. Taijul Islam dismissed him in the 119th over with Afghanistan 281 for 7. That left 23 overs to survive. Qais and the lower order survived them.

Rahmat Shah had done the earlier work. He made 105 in the first innings, per IANS, and 51 in the second, caught behind off Ebadot Hossain. Hashmatullah Shahidi contributed 36 and Ikram Alikhil 33, UNB reported.

Qais Ahmad's unbeaten 49

Qais faced 80 balls for his 49. He was cramping in both hamstrings for much of it, according to UNB. He still hit two sixes off Taijul in the final over, the second clearing deep midwicket.

Yamin Ahmadzai bought time ahead of him with 19 from 85 balls before Mehidy Hasan Miraz removed him. Zia-ur-Rehman then saw out the rest alongside Qais. Afghanistan added 65 runs after Atal fell and lost one further wicket.

The Abu Dhabi scorecard

• Bangladesh first innings: 346
• Afghanistan first innings: 240
• Bangladesh second innings: 372 for 7 declared
• Afghanistan second innings: 346 for 8 from 142 overs, chasing 479

The follow on Bangladesh could not enforce

Afghanistan's first innings 240 left them 106 behind. A captain needs a lead of 200 to enforce the follow on in a five day Test, so Bangladesh had no choice but to bat again. They added 372 for 7 and declared, which handed Afghanistan a target of 479 and handed themselves 142 overs to bowl.

Those overs were the whole game. Ebadot Hossain finished with 3 for 50 and Mehidy Hasan Miraz with 3 for 73, per UNB. Hasan Mahmud had taken 5 for 55 in the first innings, IANS reported.

Bangladesh's missed chances

Hasan Mahmud dropped a catch and two run out opportunities were missed, UNB reported. Bangladesh took eight wickets and needed two more. Litton Das made 102 and Najmul Hossain Shanto 82 in the second innings, with Tanzid Hasan 83 and Shadman Islam 67 in the first, according to IANS.

No championship points changed hands. Afghanistan are not one of the nine teams in the 2025 to 2027 World Test Championship cycle, so the match sat outside it. Bangladesh gained nothing for the declaration and forfeited nothing by failing to win.