Sediqullah Atal's monumental 111 off 332 balls and a defiant lower-order rearguard from Yamin Ahmadzai, Qais Ahmad, and Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar helped Afghanistan secure a famous draw against Bangladesh in their one-off Test at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. Set an improbable target of 479, Afghanistan finished on 346/8, batting through 142 overs to deny Bangladesh a victory that had seemed inevitable at multiple points during the final day.

Atal's Defining Knock

Sediqullah Atal batted for an extraordinary eight hours and 34 minutes, anchoring Afghanistan's survival bid in what is already being described as a career-defining innings. His century is the first by an Afghan player in the fourth innings of a Test, and his innings ranks as the seventh longest knock recorded in the fourth innings of a Test match in history. Atal reached his fifty off 166 balls and survived a missed stumping by Litton Das on 70 — a let-off that ultimately proved decisive for the result.

He was eventually dismissed in the first hour of the final session for 111, leaving Afghanistan at 281/7 with roughly 22 overs still to play and only three wickets in hand. At that point, a Bangladesh win looked the likeliest outcome.

Lower-Order Heroics Seal the Draw

With the match on a knife-edge, the Afghan lower order produced a remarkable show of grit. Yamin Ahmadzai contributed 19 before being caught brilliantly by Mominul Haque at short fine leg to leave Afghanistan eight down. But Qais Ahmad — who also required hamstring treatment in the closing overs — held firm, finishing unbeaten on 49 off 80 balls, while Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar blocked out 12 balls without scoring a single run to ensure the match ended level.

Bangladesh Let Chances Slip

Bangladesh were unable to convert a dominant position into victory, with several missed opportunities proving costly. Hasan Mahmud dropped Qais at mid-wicket, while the fielding side also missed a couple of run-out chances in the crucial final session. These errors collectively allowed Afghanistan's tail to survive long enough to complete the draw. This is the kind of passage of play that can define a team's Test development — and for Bangladesh, it will be a session to forget.

How the Match Unfolded

Afghanistan resumed the final day on 132/3 with Atal and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi at the crease. Shahidi was forced to retire hurt early in the first session after a throw from a deep fielder struck his knee, disrupting the Afghan batting order. Ikram Alikhil provided a 33-run partnership with Atal before being dismissed just before lunch — glancing a pull that Litton Das pouched one-handed — leaving Afghanistan at 203/4 at the interval.

In the second session, Ismat Alam played a patient four runs off 60 balls in a 40-run stand with Atal before Mehidy Hasan Miraz ended his resistance. Shahidi returned from injury but was dismissed for 36 before tea, leaving Afghanistan in trouble at 265/6 heading into the final session.

Brief Scores

Bangladesh 346 (Tanzid 83, Shadman 67; Saleem 4-82) and 372/7 (Litton 102, Shanto 82, Saleem 2-69) drew with Afghanistan 240 (Rahmat 105, Malik 62, Mahmud 5-55) and 346/8 (Atal 111, Rahmat 51, Qais 49*; Ebadot 3-50).

This draw marks a significant milestone in Afghanistan's growing Test pedigree — a team that only played its first-ever Test in 2018. The result will serve as a benchmark for the programme as it bids to secure more bilateral Test cricket on the international calendar.