Tamim Iqbal smashes double ton as first Test ends in draw

Khulna: Tamim Iqbal smashed Bangladesh's highest Test score of 206 as the first Test against Pakistan petered out into a draw after another run feast here on Saturday. The hosts made light of the 296-run deficit in the first innings as they posted a mammoth 555 for six in their second knock before the match was called off after tea on the fifth and final day.

Tamim Iqbal

The draw was a morale-booster for Bangladesh, who had lost all their eight previous Tests against Pakistan, ahead of the second and final match starting in Dhaka next Wednesday. A stalemate was always on the cards on the heart-breaking pitch for bowlers at the Sheikh Abu Naser stadium which produced 1,515 runs for the loss of just 26 wickets over the five days. Bangladesh had made 332 in the first innings after electing to take first strike and Pakistan replied with 628 on the back of a double-century from Mohammad Hafeez.

Poor wicket
Rival captains Mushfiqur Rahim of Bangladesh and Misbah-ul Haq of Pakistan both blamed the wicket for the high-scoring draw. "It was difficult to take 20 wickets on this pitch," said Rahim. Misbah said the pitch provided no assistance to either the fast bowlers or the spinners. "It was very slow which made it difficult for the bowlers," he said.