How Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s Five-for and Rain Wrecked Pakistan’s Dhaka Test Day 3 Lead

Pakistan resumed Day 3 at 179/1 with Azan Awais unbeaten on 85 and the match pointing toward a first-innings lead. By stumps, they sat 27 runs short of Bangladesh’s 413, bowled out for 386 after five wickets from the off-spinner removed morning momentum, and rain denied any late recovery. Awais converted overnight to a fine century. Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, and Abdullah Fazal all contributed half-centuries. Bangladesh didn’t allow any of those stars to become the platform Pakistan needed.

Off-Spinner Breaks Pakistan’s Rhythm

Pakistan’s morning session looked comfortable until the off-spinner arrived. Mehidy dismissed Saud Shakeel for a duck and removed Abdullah Fazal shortly after, both wickets landing at the precise moment Pakistan’s middle order needed to consolidate rather than rebuild from scratch.

The pitch offered an increasing turn as the day progressed. Mehidy’s ability to vary pace and attack the stumps made him genuinely difficult to play on a length. His final figures of 5/102 tell only part of the story. The timing of each wicket mattered more than the tally. Pakistan lost batters precisely when partnerships appeared to be forming, which prevented any stand long enough to push them beyond 413. Bangladesh didn’t need exceptional conditions to stay competitive. They needed the off-spinner to take wickets at the right moments, and he did exactly that throughout the morning.

Awais Century Gives Pakistan Hope

Azan Awais’s hundred was one of the better debut performances this series has produced. He handled Bangladesh’s spin attack with genuine patience, rotated strike through difficult phases, and refused to give his wicket away cheaply against a disciplined bowling unit on a turning surface.

His century gave Pakistan a real platform. The problem was what arrived alongside it. Rizwan’s 59, Agha’s 58, and Fazal’s 60 were exactly the contributions that should collectively push a batting side past their opponents’ total. None of them did, because Bangladesh took wickets between those starts rather than allowing two recognised batters to bat together long enough for the lead to arrive. Awais fell to Taskin Ahmed shortly after reaching three figures. His dismissal removed the one batter with the temperament to anchor the innings while the lower order pushed Pakistan to safety.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz Ends the Fight

Mehidy Hasan Miraz returned to dismantle what remained of Pakistan’s middle and lower order at the stage where a first-innings lead still looked achievable. At 353/7, Pakistan needed 61 runs from three wickets. That’s a realistic target with a recognised batter still present. It became unrealistic quickly.

The final three wickets fell for just 33 runs. Mehidy completed his five-wicket haul, Bangladesh closed the innings, and Pakistan finished 27 runs short of 413. That collapse from 353/7 is the moment Pakistan’s management will study most carefully from this day. Getting within sight of a lead and losing three wickets for 33 is not just a batting failure in isolation. It hands Bangladesh an advantage that deteriorating fourth innings conditions on a Dhaka surface will amplify considerably over the days remaining.

Rain Decides the Day’s Balance

The interruptions shaped the second half of Day 3 as significantly as Mehidy’s spell shaped the first. After Rizwan’s wicket, rain forced an early tea break and disrupted Pakistan’s attempt to accelerate toward a competitive total. The resulting rhythm suited Bangladesh’s bowlers rather than Pakistan’s batters. Moisture and fading light made stroke-making increasingly difficult as the surface continued rewarding disciplined spin.

Bangladesh also benefited from the timing of play resumptions in their second innings. Only 1.5 overs were bowled before bad light ended the day, sparing their openers a difficult evening spell under pressure. Heading into Day 4, Bangladesh hold a narrow lead on a deteriorating Dhaka pitch with a stronger spin attack, cleaner momentum, and a fourth innings that history suggests will be significantly harder than the 27-run deficit implies.