2nd Test: Pakistan Reach 316/7, Need 121 to Win with Three Wickets Left on a Knife-Edge Final Day
By Sayed Abdullah | May 19, 2026
- The day's play summarized
- Key partnerships that kept Pakistan alive
- Bangladesh's spin threat and late breakthroughs
- What to expect on the final day
There is a particular cruelty to the way day four of a tight Test match unfolds — especially when the game teeters back and forth with every session, and bad light keeps ending play just when the tension becomes unbearable. Pakistan head into the final day of the second Test against Bangladesh needing 121 runs to win, with only three wickets in hand. At stumps, Mohammad Rizwan remains unbeaten on 75, Sajid Khan is at the other end on 8, and the entire contest feels like it's balanced on the head of a pin.
The Day in Review: Partnerships and Collapses
Pakistan began the day needing a monumental effort with the bat. At lunch, they were 101 for 2, with captain Shan Masood and Babar Azam at the crease and the match seemingly drifting toward Bangladesh. What followed through the afternoon and into the final session was a seesaw battle that kept everyone on edge until bad light ended play with two minutes remaining on the clock.
After lunch, Masood and Babar extended their partnership to 92 runs. Masood, who had struggled in the series, looked increasingly assured against the spinners. A nudge to long-on brought up his first half-century of the series, and for a brief stretch, it felt like Pakistan might be taking control. But Test cricket in Bangladesh, on a wearing pitch, never allows comfort for long. Taijul Islam, the left-arm spinner who has been a constant threat, drew a careless flick from Babar. The faint edge was held by Mushfiqur Rahim, and Babar was gone for 47 — not the big score Pakistan needed from their best batter.
What followed was a collapse within a collapse. Saud Shakeel and Masood fell within six balls of each other. Nahid Rana induced Shakeel to edge behind. Then Taijul extracted extra bounce and had Masood flicking to short leg, where Mahmudul Hasan Joy grabbed a sharp catch. Masood departed for 71, a fine innings cut short at the worst possible moment. Pakistan wobbled at 200 for 5, and the prospect of a heavy defeat loomed.
The Rizwan-Agha Stand That Saved the Day
Then came the partnership that transformed the match. Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Rizwan put together a sixth-wicket stand of 132 runs, and they did it at a pace that kept the required run rate manageable. Both batters hit boundaries freely, rotating the strike and forcing the Bangladesh bowlers to readjust their lines. For much of the afternoon, the pair seemed to be pulling off something extraordinary — dragging Pakistan from the brink to a position of genuine hope.
But the partnership was broken, as all partnerships eventually are on these pitches. Taijul, again the tormentor, bowled Agha through the gate with an arm ball for 71 — a mirror of his earlier dismissal of Babar in its subtlety and precision. Hasan Ali followed soon after, caught at first slip off Taijul for a low score, and suddenly Pakistan were seven down with 121 still required. Rizwan, calm and unflappable, remained. Sajid Khan, the nightwatchman, took his place at the other end with the clear instruction to survive.
The Final Day Equation
On paper, the equation is simple: 121 runs, three wickets, one day. But the pitch is offering considerable turn, and Bangladesh have a spinner in Taijul who has already taken two wickets on the day and looks capable of running through a tail. The visitors' pace attack, led by Nahid Rana, has been effective in short bursts, but it is Taijul who will hold the key. If he can remove Rizwan early, the rest of Pakistan's lower order is unlikely to survive for long against the turning ball.
Rizwan, however, is precisely the kind of batter Bangladesh will not want to bowl at on the final morning. He is patient, combative, and has a proven ability to shepherd the tail. He has faced 134 balls for his unbeaten 75 — an innings built not on flamboyance but on grinding resilience. If Pakistan are to pull off an improbable victory, it will be Rizwan who engineers it. Sajid Khan, too, will need to play the innings of his life — or at least survive long enough to let Rizwan farm the strike and chip away at the target.
For Bangladesh, the goal is simpler: three quick wickets, a 2-0 series sweep, and another chapter in what has been a quietly impressive Test campaign at home. For Pakistan, it is about salvaging pride, proving that the batting lineup can withstand pressure, and giving Rizwan the kind of support that could turn a likely defeat into a famous win. The final day will begin with both teams knowing exactly what is at stake, and with a pitch that promises to make every run and every wicket feel twice as consequential.
Can Rizwan pull off a miracle, or will Bangladesh wrap up the series quickly on the final morning? Tell us your prediction in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Pakistan's target in the second Test?
A: Pakistan need 121 more runs to win, with only three wickets remaining.
Q: Who are the key players for the final day?
A: Mohammad Rizwan (75 not out) and Bangladesh spinner Taijul Islam are the critical figures.
Q: What happened in the first Test?
A: Bangladesh won by 104 runs, their first-ever home Test victory against Pakistan.
Sayed Abdullah is the founder of Prime Pakistan. Based in Karachi, he provides honest analysis on cricket and sports for the common Pakistani. He believes in context over clickbait. Read more.
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