Rashid Khan shines with bat and ball to pile more pressure on Bangladesh
The home side's spin-heavy bowling attack initially could not shackle the 20-year all-rounder's blistering efforts with the willow, as Rashid's 61-ball 51 helped propel his side to 342 – Afghanistan's highest Test innings score to date. Asghar Afghan fell early in the day for a valiant 92, having held the innings together following the dismissal of day one centurion Rahmat Shah.
Rashid was equally potent with the ball, snaring four wickets as the hosts dipped to 130/7, before a stoic lower-order effort from Mosaddek Hossain (44*) and Taijul Islam (15*) dragged Shakib Al Hasan's side to a more respectable, but still potentially insufficient 194/8 at stumps.
Afghanistan began on 271/5 having acquitted themselves well on day one, but Asghar and Asfar Zazai both fell to Taijul (4/116) in the early knockings of the morning session. Rashid's injection of impetus from number eight came in timely fashion, as he punted three sixes and two boundaries on the way to an exciting maiden Test half-century.
It's been another excellent day for Afghanistan, but Bangladesh have battled hard in the last hour.
— ICC (@ICC) September 6, 2019
The hosts finish on 194/8, with an unbroken ninth-wicket stand between Mosaddek Hossain (44*) and Taijul Islam (14*) worth 48. #BANvAFG SCORECARD ⬇️https://t.co/kHXVx32oOc pic.twitter.com/3DZB84G8wm
Shakib (2/64) eventually cleaned up the tail, but Afghanistan took all of the momentum into the following innings, with seamer Yamin Ahmadzai (1/21) accounting for the wicket of Shadman Islam (0) in the first over.
Mohammad Nabi (2/53) and Rashid then made light work of the Tigers' batting lineup, the latter dismissing the hugely experienced middle-order duo of Shakib (11) and Mushfiqur Rahim (0), thus piling all of the pressure on Bangladesh at 88/5.
A solitary fifty from Mominul Haque (52) propped up the home team's flailing batting effort somewhat, aided by admirable contributions from Mosaddek and Taijul, but the tourists could still claim the day having outshone their opponents from the outset.
Bangladesh now go into day three 148 runs adrift of Afghanistan's first innings total with just one wicket in hand, with a spirited effort needed to claw themselves back into the match.