It was the start of the one-off Test between Afghanistan and Bangladesh at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Friday, October 9, 2026, as the game continued till October 13. For Afghanistan, Test cricket has been a rare test, and according to the preview of the game from ESPNcricinfo, this was a rare test where the hosts were trying to tick some boxes against the opponent, who were confident.
Bangladesh came in as favorites for the match because it is their first Test since the draw in Australia in August, when they had won a game in Darwin. But Bangladesh has had form problems apart from this memorable performance in mind before this match. On the other hand, Afghanistan would be looking to begin afresh with the new captain, Rahmat Shah, leading the side.
Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat, bringing into the side the left-arm spin bowler Nayeem Hasan. This proved to be a wise decision as soon as the first over began, as Tanzid Hasan started attacking the Afghan bowlers and scored 21 runs off 18 balls in just five overs, as Bangladesh managed to score 31 without losing any wickets, while the batting partner of Tanzid at the other end took a conservative approach. After the 16th over, Bangladesh had 89 runs without losing any wicket, with Tanzid scoring 62 off 47 balls and Shadman 22 off 50.
Shadman too was gifted with a life earlier, sent back at short cover when he had scored only 5. Afghanistan suffered very little for the blunder, with the two opening batsmen keeping the scoreboard ticking at more than five runs per over and making a total of 124 runs in just 23 overs.
Tanzid was on course to score a century as he scored 81 runs in 66 deliveries in the 22nd over with the help of eight fours and four sixes until he was dismissed for 83 runs in 71 balls. This happened just short of reaching a hundred and 15 minutes before lunch. The turning point came through a tactical play.
Afghanistan’s newly appointed vice-captain and wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhil came up to the stumps and reduced the movement of Tanzid. Then Ismat Alam bowled a ball wide that made Tanzid reach out for it with a loose shot, and the ball went to the edge of the bat. Alam ended the day with figures of 1/17.
Bangladesh took lunch at 134 for 1 after 26 overs, with Shadman still to get out with 41 off 79 balls and Mominul Haque scoring 5 off 7.
Bangladesh dominated the opening session, but the reaction from Afghanistan in the closing stages of the session was somewhat better. After the dismissal, the Afghan team showed some improvement in their bowling line and didn't give too many easy balls, while the dots started to add up owing to the energy displayed on the field by them.
While Mohammad Saleem delivered 7 overs for 31 runs without a wicket to his name before the lunch interval, the leg spin of Zia-ur-Rehman was already doing well to grip and turn the ball in the first few overs of the second session.
But the batting lineup for Bangladesh is still deep, and the visitors will be hoping to score a large first-innings score, given that over 60 overs remain on Day 1 of the Test.
The two sides have a relatively short yet interesting history when it comes to playing Tests against each other. Afghanistan recorded a historic victory of 224 runs in their first Test outside their home turf at Chattogram in 2019, where Rashid Khan became the youngest captain ever to win a Test match.
Bangladesh took revenge in 2023, recording a mammoth win of 546 runs in their one and only Test that year—their largest Test win by runs ever. Such results show that games between the two could turn around in a massive manner.
In a recent series between the two teams in the UAE in October 2025, Afghanistan defeated Bangladesh 3-0 in the ODI series, while the latter won the T20I series by the same margin.
The Test is just the start of a busy schedule for both the teams. Once the test concludes, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe will play a tri-series ODI which will run from October 17 to 23.
Bangladesh will play Zimbabwe on October 17 and Afghanistan will play Zimbabwe on October 19 while playing in the Zayed Cricket Stadium before Afghanistan and Bangladesh face off against each other in Sharjah on October 21. The final of the series will also take place in Sharjah on October 23.
