Rahmat Shah described Afghanistan’s hard-earned draw against Bangladesh in the Abu Dhabi Test as “equal to a win”. Afghanistan, spearheaded by Sediqullah Atal’s determined knock, held off Bangladesh by batting through 92 overs on the final day.
The last time Afghanistan managed to prevent defeat in a Test against a World Test Championship team was in 2019 against Bangladesh in Chattogram, disregarding the rain-resulted draw versus New Zealand in 2024. Atal was firmly at the centre of this narrative.
Afghanistan coach Richard Pybus remarked, “All credit to Sediq for really turning it around. It was an outstanding innings for him. He had been a little bit out of touch, actually, so he worked really hard on this innings. Credit to him, he’s at the beginning of his Test career.”
Rahmat, addressing the presentation ceremony, praised Atal, “Sediqullah came fresh from the T20s, and the way he kept his composure, doing what the team needed him to do and executing it, that is why we achieved the result.”
Atal’s marathon innings, lasting over eight hours during which he scored 111 runs off 332 balls, also drew praise from Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, who acknowledged his team’s missed opportunities. “The way Sediqullah batted, it was really impressive,” Shanto admitted, while highlighting the favourable batting conditions the wicket presented on the last two days.
Although Bangladesh believed they were on the cusp of victory after quickly dismissing Atal in the 119th over, Afghanistan’s lower order resisted. Qais Ahmad and Yamin Ahmadzai exhibited solid defensive techniques, with Qais notably hitting three sixes, including two in the final over, to thwart Bangladesh’s plans. Shanto conceded, “I think they played some brilliant cricket – we have to give them credit.”
Rahmat, in his first outing as Afghanistan Test captain, further distinguished himself with a century in the first innings and then 51 in the second. “As a team, I was delighted that two players scored centuries in the match and others contributed with half-centuries and vital partnerships,” he reflected. The strategy was to endure and remain undisturbed by Bangladesh’s dot balls or maidens, emphasising, “Our goal was to bat all day.”
Pybus noted, “I think the squad actually managed emotions pretty well today. It’s a long chase [479] and also getting to the point where you’re actually batting to hold out and to get a good draw out of it.” Though he light-heartedly criticised Qais for disregarding his advice to defend, Pybus praised his aggressive late-innings performance. “Qais paid absolutely no attention to my advice whatsoever,” he laughed, appreciating Qais’s spirited game which embodied the fierce determination of the Afghan side.
