Najmul Hossain struck a fifty to propel Bangladesh to 116-1 at lunch on the opening day of their one-off Test against Afghanistan on Wednesday.
Najmul led the charge after the hosts were sent in to bat on a green surface at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, AFP reported.
He was 64 not out at the break after scoring his fourth test fifty, while opener Mahmudul Hasan was with him on 38.
The pair shared 110 runs in their unbroken second-wicket partnership after debutant pacer Nijatullah Masood took Afghanistan’s sole wicket.
Masood removed opener Zakir Hasan for one off his first test delivery in the second over of the day.
Zakir was initially declared not out by the on-field umpire but the replay indicated that the left-hander had nicked the ball to wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai.
Najmul hit back-to-back fours off Yamin Ahmadzai in the next over to deny Afghanistan further momentum.
He swept legspinner Zahir Khan for four to bring up his fifty off 58 balls.
Afghanistan won the only Test between the two teams when they beat the home side by 224 runs at Chittagong in 2019.
BANGLADESH: Zakir Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan, Najmul Hossain, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das (captain), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam.
AFGHANISTAN: Ibrahim Zadran, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Nasir Jamal, Afsar Zazai, Karim Janat, Zahir Khan, Hamza Hotak, Yamin Ahmadzai, Nijat Masood.
