Sediqullah Atal’s maiden Test century and a stubborn lower order earned Afghanistan a draw against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday after they were set 479 to win. Afghanistan finished on 346 for 8 as Bangladesh missed chances in the closing overs.
Abu Dhabi, UAE: Bangladesh had the position, the target and the clock. What they did not have, by the end, was the last two wickets. Afghanistan batted through the final day of the one-off Test and survived 142 overs in their second innings, closing on 346 for 8 against a target that, by the morning, had looked well out of reach.
Atal anchors the day
Afghanistan resumed on 132 for 3 after Litton Das’s century had set up the declaration, needing 347 more. The job fell to the opener. Atal made 111 off 332 balls, his first Test hundred and the first by an Afghan batter in the fourth innings of a Test. He was eventually caught at short leg, with Bangladesh still needing three wickets.
The chances that got away
Bangladesh did not take them. They missed two run-out chances off successive deliveries, and Hasan Mahmud, whose first-innings hat-trick had anchored Bangladesh’s advantage earlier in the match, dropped a catch at deep midwicket off Qais Ahmad while a wicket would have kept the game alive.
Qais finished unbeaten on 49 off 80 balls, and Zia-ur-Rehman was unbeaten on 0 off 12 balls as the match ran out. Ebadot Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz took three wickets each in the innings.
How the match ended
Bangladesh made 346 and 372 for 7 declared, with Litton scoring 102 in the second innings and Hasan Mahmud taking 5 for 55 in the first. Afghanistan replied with 240 in the first innings and 346 for 8 in the second. No Player of the Match was reported in the sources used.
Result: Match drawn. Bangladesh 346 and 372-7 declared (Litton Das 102); Afghanistan 240 and 346-8 in 142 overs (Sediqullah Atal 111, Qais Ahmad 49*). Afghanistan were set 479 to win.
Match: Only Test, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, Tuesday 13 October 2026.
