Rahmat 84 and Malik's maiden fifty cut Afghanistan's deficit to 135

Rahmat Shah finished day two unbeaten on 84, from 186 balls, and left Afghanistan 135 runs behind Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan closed on 211 for 4. The captain had the wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhil with him on 26. Day two of the one-off Afghanistan vs Bangladesh Test belonged to that pair.

Bangladesh had resumed on 317 for 8 and lasted barely an hour. They were bowled out for 346 in 92.3 overs. Mohammad Saleem finished with 4 for 82 from 23 overs and Yamin Ahmadzai took 3 for 79.

Bangladesh add 29 and fold for 346

Twenty-nine runs came in the first session for the last two wickets. Nayeem Hasan held the lower order together and finished 35 not out from 67 balls. The bulk of the innings had been built the day before.

Tanzid Hasan and Shadman Islam had given Bangladesh the start on day one. Litton Das made 53 after them. Three batters passed fifty and none of the three went on to a hundred. Mohammad Saleem and Yamin Ahmadzai took seven of the ten wickets between them.

• Tanzid Hasan 83
• Shadman Islam 67
• Litton Das 53
• Nayeem Hasan 35 not out

Malik's first fifty in Test cricket

Hasan Mahmud removed Sediqullah Atal for 17. Ebadot Hossain then had Shahidullah for 20. That brought Rahmat and Abdul Malik together.

Abdul Malik made 62 from 120 balls, his maiden Test half-century, before edging Ebadot behind. He and Rahmat put on 70 for the third wicket. Hashmatullah Shahidi followed for a duck, stumped by Litton Das off Mehidy Hasan Miraz, which left Afghanistan 139 for 4. The fifth-wicket stand has been worth 72 since.

A captaincy handed over in July

Rahmat took the Test and one-day captaincy in July, when Shahidi stepped down. "I am resigning as captain of my team at my personal decision," Shahidi said, in comments carried by ANI. Shahidi was stumped for a duck in the same innings on Saturday.

Rahmat scored Afghanistan's first Test century, against Bangladesh in September 2019. He became the first Afghanistan batter to pass 1,000 Test runs in June 2026.

This is the first of three Tests in Afghanistan's home season, all of them in the United Arab Emirates. Zimbabwe arrive later for the other two. Afghanistan named their squad for the Bangladesh and Zimbabwe Tests at the start of October.

Afghanistan 135 behind with six standing

Ebadot was the pick of the Bangladesh attack with 2 for 50 from 11 overs. Hasan Mahmud and Mehidy took one each. Three of the four Afghanistan wickets went to seam, and the one to spin was Shahidi's stumping.

Afghanistan need 136 to take a first-innings lead. Six wickets stand. Rahmat is 16 short of a century. Day three resumes on Sunday morning.