Bangladesh and Afghanistan experienced a sudden shift in momentum during day one of their Test encounter at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Cricket Stadium. Although the Bangladeshi opening batsmen provided a solid foundation, the Afghan bowling attack fought back hard to squeeze the middle order, highlighted by a spectacular delivery from Yamin Ahmadzai that cleaned up the seasoned Mushfiqur Rahim.
Having won the toss, Bangladesh opted to bat first on a dry track, aiming to capitalize on the batting-friendly conditions before spin could come into play. Nevertheless, Afghanistan mounted a fierce comeback following the lunch interval, spearheaded by Ahmadzai as the middle order began to crumble.
Sensational yorker from Yamin Ahmadzai sends Mushfiqur Rahim packing
This pivotal breakthrough occurred on the last ball of the 50th over, as Ahmadzai delivered an exceptionally precise yorker that swung away at the last second, rattling the off-stump. Rahim, having struggled to get off the mark after seven balls, could not get his bat down quickly enough, leaving the Afghan speedster to celebrate a massive wicket.
Earlier, Ahmadzai had claimed the wicket of Mominul Haque for 39, consistently challenging the opposition batting lineup with his precision and late movement. Dismissing Rahim put the finishing touches on a brilliant spell that shifted the balance of power to Afghanistan following their initial struggles.
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A Yamin Ahmadzai Special! 👏
“Getting the reward for some lovely stuff, Yamin Ahmadzai!” 🤩#AfghanAtalan | #AFGvBD | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/v6w2mJlQIr
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) October 9, 2026
Afghanistan mount a recovery following Bangladesh’s dominant start by openers
The batting side initially appeared dominant, powered by Tanzid Hasan Tamim‘s quickfire 83 off 71 deliveries and Shadman Islam‘s steady 67 off 111 balls. The duo stitched together a superb 124-run opening partnership, setting up a solid platform until Ismat Alam removed Tanzid and Mohammad Saleem accounted for Shadman. Following this, Ahmadzai claimed a brace of wickets, and Qais Ahmad sent skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto back to the pavilion for 29.
Following their impressive start, Bangladesh collapsed by losing five wickets for just 101 runs, which allowed Afghanistan to claw their way back. Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz then restored order with an unbroken stand, steering the total to 283/5 by the end of 68.3 overs. At that juncture, Ahmadzai was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/52, having been instrumental in swinging the momentum back to his team.
