Persistent rain in Rawalpindi washes out Day 1 of 2nd test between Pakistan and Bangladesh

Bangladesh leads series 1-0 after historic win, Pakistan struggles, rain washes out second test day.

Persistent rain washed out the opening day of the second test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, August 30, 2024.

Bangladesh leads the two-match series 1-0 after it notched a historic 10-wicket win at the same venue last week when Pakistan was bowled out for an embarrassing 146 in the second innings on the fifth and final day.

Players and team officials stayed in the hotel and umpires called off the play at 12:05 p.m. local time with rain still pouring down and leaving the outfield submerged.

Both teams are in the bottom half of the World Test Championship standings with Bangladesh at No. 7 and Pakistan at No. 8, just above last-place West Indies.

An embattled Pakistan, which has lost four test matches in a row since Shan Masood was elevated as captain last year, hasn’t won a home test since it beat South Africa in December 2021. The remaining four test matches against New Zealand and Australia were drawn.

Pakistan dropped rusty fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and named another left-armer Mir Hamza along with leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed in its 12-man squad.

Afridi, who was playing his first test in eight months, was ineffective and had to wait until Pakistan took the third new ball to claim 2-88 as Bangladesh replied to Pakistan’s 448-6 declared with a strong total of 565.