Mehidy Hasan Miraz's 87 not out helped Bangladesh produce a stunning comeback on the third day of the first Test against South Africa at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.

Bangladesh's revival was halted an hour before the scheduled end of the day due to bad light, but they now lead by 81 runs after conceding a 202-run lead in the first innings. 

The Proteas looked set to earn an innings victory at a canter when Mahmudul Hasan Joy (40) and Mushfiqur Rahim (33) were removed by Kagiso Rabada in quick succession.

Litton Das (7) was caught behind off Keshav Maharaj (3-105) shortly afterwards as Bangladesh slipped to 112-6 heading into the 35th over. 

But Mehidy and Jaker Ali (58) helped the hosts to within one of South Africa's lead at lunch before the second session was stopped for 78 minutes due to heavy rain in Mirpur. 

Jaker struck his maiden Test half-century before the delay in play before falling to Maharaj, but Mehidy and Nayeem Hasan (16 not out) remained calm at the crease as Bangladesh ended the day 283-7. 

Data Debrief: Mehidy masterclass

Bangladesh have lost five of their last seven men's Tests (W2), including losing each of the last two on the bounce, but Mehidy's knock has them in contention in Mirpur. 

Mehidy's 87 saw him register his ninth Test half-century and his fourth this year, smashing nine fours and one six during his 194-minute spell at the crease on Wednesday. 

Ben Stokes insists his fitness issues are improving as he looks to play a greater role with the ball on a pitch that has drawn much attention ahead of England's third Test against Pakistan.

The England captain managed just 10 overs in the second Test defeat to Pakistan in Multan, in what was his first appearance in over two months after a troublesome hamstring issue.

Rawalpindi will host the series decider between the two nations, with England expecting lateral movement after recalling Rehan Ahmed, alongside fellow spinners Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir.

Gus Atkinson also returns for the tourists ahead of Thursday's Test, forming a two-man seam attack with Stokes, who expects to feature more from a bowling aspect.

"It was good to get through it," said Stokes of the second Test. "I have put myself through my paces at training, bowled two spells.

"Coming in and being one of only two seamers, I'm fully confident that I'll be able to get more out of myself this week than I did last week."

Pakistan opted to reuse the same pitch in Multan for the second Test after England eased to victory in a run-laden opening meeting.

However, home spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan shared all 20 wickets as Pakistan levelled the three-match series, with the hosts' captain Shan Masood calling for further turn in Rawalpindi.

Pictures emerged this week of heaters, fans and windbreakers on the pitch, seemingly to appease Masood's request, though Stokes had no issues with the ground work.

"I've never been a groundsman, but you'd think a rake would assist the spin," said Stokes. "We can have a good guess which ends the Pakistan spinners will operate from.

"There's not too much grass to hold everything together. It will be interesting to see how it goes. It will be a pretty good wicket for the first couple of days, at least."

Spin will be no problem, too, considering the selection of Leach, Bashir and young leg-spinner Ahmed, who claimed a five-wicket haul on his Test debut in Pakistan in 2022.

"Leg-spinners have an amazing ability to break a game open," added Stokes. "Having his batting ability lower down the order is also a massive bonus.

"The way Leach and Bashir have bowled has been fantastic in these first two Tests. Adding Rehan's free spirit and desperation to change the game every time he's got the ball in his hand is a massive bonus for us this week."

Bangladesh face a huge task to fight back in the first Test against South Africa after Kyle Verreynne's century and two Kagiso Rabada wickets left them reeling in Mirpur.

Having collapsed to 106 all out on Monday, the hosts desperately needed an improvement after Verreynne's second red-ball ton helped South Africa to a 202-run first-innings lead shortly after lunch on day two.

However, Rabada posted fine figures of 10-2 through seven overs with the ball, dismissing Shadman Islam (1) and Mominul Haque (0) early to leave Bangladesh requiring a stirring fightback.

Taijul Islam's five-wicket haul had dropped South Africa to 140-6 when bad light stopped play on day one, but Verreynne led the resurgent Proteas to 308 all out when they resumed the following day.

He counted eight fours and two maximums among his 114 runs, facing 144 deliveries with support coming from Wiaan Mulder (54) and Dane Piedt (32).

Verreynne was, fittingly, the last batter to fall when he was stumped by Litton Das after attempting to sweep a full delivery from Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and his knock could prove crucial after Bangladesh lost three wickets by stumps.

Rabada had Shadman and Mominul caught by Tony de Zorzi and Mulder, respectively, within four second-over balls, with Keshav Maharaj later trapping Najmul Hossain Shanto lbw for 23 as Bangladesh reached 101-3 by stumps.

Data Debrief: Rapid Rabada puts Proteas on brink

In Bangladesh's first innings, Rabada dismissed three to become the sixth bowler to take 300 wickets for South Africa in men's Tests, and the third-fastest to do so on his 65th red-ball appearance, after Dale Steyn (61 matches) and Allan Donald (63).

He then came up with what could be the telling contribution at the outset of Bangladesh's second stint with the bat, taking two wickets before he had even conceded three runs.

South Africa are now big favourites to win back-to-back away Tests for the first time since 2022. Having triumphed by 40 runs versus West Indies in August, the Proteas could seal another routine victory as early as day three. 

Rehan Ahmed has been recalled by England with the tourists opting to field three spinners for this week's deciding test against Pakistan.

England go to Rawalpindi for the third match of their tour, which begins on Thursday after Pakistan recorded a 152-run victory in the second Test to keep the series alive.

Ben Stokes' team have made two changes to their lineup from that match, with 20-year-old leg-spinner Ahmed joining Gus Atkinson in being introduced.

Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse, who managed eight wickets between them last time out, are the players to make way.

Speaking to BBC Sport to preview the third Test, England batter Harry Brook said: "We know it's probably not going to swing and seam and do all sorts in the first session, so we look at the pitch and work out what the best team is going to be.

Ahmed made his international debut in Pakistan two years ago and recorded figures of 5-48 in the third Test in Karachi, going on to win three further caps since then.

"He's an outstanding cricketer," Brook said of Ahmed. "It's not just his bowling, but his batting and fielding. He's a young lad so he has a lot of time to come.

"He got five-for in the last Test here, so hopefully he can do that again."

England team to face Pakistan: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.

South Africa ended an enthralling opening day of the first Test against Bangladesh with a 34-run lead, despite Taijul Islam's five-wicket haul. 

On a day when 16 wickets fell in Mirpur, unbeaten knocks from Kyle Verreynne (18) and Wiaan Mulder (17) had the tourists 140-6 before bad light stopped play six overs short.

Earlier, South Africa ripped through Bangladesh, with Shadman Islam (0), Mominul Haque (four) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (seven) falling inside the first six overs.

Mahmudul Hasan Joy top-scored for Bangladesh with 30 runs, but Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada and Mulder starred for the Proteas, with each taking three wickets. 

Handed a meagre target of 106, South Africa were rocked by the loss of Aiden Markram (six) after he was bowled out by Hasan Mahmud (1-31) before Taijul entered the fray. 

Taijul took the next five wickets, ending the day with figures of 5-49, bringing up his 200th Test wicket with the dismissal of Ryan Rickelton (27) in the 31st over, but South Africa at least have a lead heading into day two.

Data Debrief: Records tumble

Islam's five-wicket haul saw him become only the second Bangladesh bowler to pick up 200 Test wickets after Shakib Al Hasan, who took 246 during his time with the Tigers. 

It was also Islam's 13th five-for in Test cricket, with the milestone coming in 48 matches. 

Meanwhile, this Test will go into the history books, with 16 the highest number of wickets to have a fallen on day one of a Test held in Bangladesh.

New Zealand captain Tom Latham savoured a "special" moment for the Black Caps after they ended a 36-year wait for a Test victory in India on Sunday.

The tourists began day five of a rain-affected first Test requiring just 107 runs for victory, with their only previous wins in India coming in 1969 and 1988.

Latham was removed early on by Jasprit Bumrah as India desperately attempted to force a draw, but Will Young (49 not out) and Rachin Ravindra (39 not out) got New Zealand over the line with eight wickets to spare.

Speaking after the win, which was New Zealand's seventh in a row in red-ball matches, Latham said: "There have been a lot of teams that have come here over that long period of time, so obviously it's a special feeling.

"The work we did in that first and second innings with the ball and with the bat set up the game for us."

India, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat since going down to England in Hyderabad in January, though they recovered to win that five-match series 4-1.

With two more Tests to come in the current series, captain Rohit Sharma called on his team-mates to show similar levels of resilience. 

"There are guys who have been in this place before, where we've lost a game," Rohit said. 

"We lost a game against England in the first Test, and we won four games after that. These things happen. 

"There's still two Test matches to go, and we know exactly what is required from each one of us. So, we'll try and put our best game forward." 

New Zealand eased to a first Test victory in India since 1988 on Sunday despite Jasprit Bumrah doing his bit to frustrate the Black Caps in their chase.

After India recorded their worst-ever home score in their first innings and collapsed in their second, New Zealand needed just 107 runs to win on day five.

Bumrah attempted to put the pressure on, trapping Tom Latham lbw for a duck with just his second ball of the day then doing the same to Devon Conway (17) to drop the tourists to 35-2.

However, Bumrah – who conceded just 29 runs through his eight overs with the ball – could only delay the inevitable as Will Young (49 not out) and Rachin Ravindra (39 not out) got New Zealand over the line.

Fresh from a century in the tourists' first innings, Ravindra hit two boundaries from the first three balls he faced to silence a raucous crowd at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Attacking the spinners for fear of rain interrupting their chase, the pair continued to hunt runs and Young sealed the deal with a four off Ravindra Jadeja in the 28th over. 

Data Debrief: Rare triumph for Black Caps

New Zealand's victory was just their third in red-ball cricket in India, following wins in 1969 and 1988.

The Black Caps have now won each of their last seven red-ball matches, following 2-0 series sweeps of South Africa, Australia and Sri Lanka.

New Zealand are on the brink of securing a first Test win in India for 36 years, following the hosts' late collapse on day four.

The visitors' decision to take a second new ball proved crucial, and left them requiring just 107 runs for victory.

India resumed at 231-3, and Sarfaraz Khan led their charge as he notched his maiden Test century with an impressive 150 off 195 balls.

The hosts, who were bowled out for just 46 in the opening innings, were looking strong, having overturned their 356-run deficit for the lead at 400-3.

However, the tide turned when New Zealand took the new ball. After Tim Southee claimed Khan, William O'Rourke then denied Rishabh Pant (99) a century, while he also bowled KL Rahul (12) and Ravindra Jadeja (five) soon after.

Matt Henry also took three wickets, claiming Ravichandran Ashwin (15), Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj (both for a duck) as India were bowled out for 462, setting their opponents a target of just 107 when play concludes on Sunday.

Data Debrief: Ton up for Khan as Pant agonisingly misses out

The new ball was certainly the decisive factor on a day interrupted by rain delays. Indeed, India were 62-3 thereon, having previously looked on course to set their opponents a healthy target.

While Khan notched his maiden Test century, Pant was not so fortunate as he was dismissed when needing just one more run for his seventh ton.

In fact, he has now hit more 90s (seven) than centuries (six) in Test cricket.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood says their 152-run victory over England in the second Test to level the three-match series was an "important win" for the team.

Pakistan had lost each of their last 11 Test matches on the bounce as hosts, a run stretching back to 2021, and were on a six-match losing streak overall in the longest format.

However, their spinners, Sajid Khan (2-93) and Noman Ali (8-46) ensured that run came to an end on Friday as they orchestrated England's second-innings collapse.

They combined for all 20 wickets in Multan, playing on the same pitch as the one they lost the first Test on, becoming the first pair to achieve such a feat since Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie in 1972.

For Masood, it was a first win since becoming captain, and he was proud of how the players rallied to end such a torrid run.

"This was a very important win for Pakistan cricket," he said. "The recent results were unacceptable.

"There is relief. This is a long process and journey. It won't be fixed overnight. It's been three years and 10 months since we last won a Test at home. That's not acceptable for Pakistan cricket.

"We pride ourselves on how well we play this game and how we see ourselves as a team. For us to get a result and hopefully start something here in our own conditions is exciting.

"Going through that adverse situation for years and still getting a result: that's the character you want from your players, staff and cricket board. Everyone's responded well after the [first Test] loss, which is very heartening."

England are looking to claim a second consecutive series win in Pakistan, but after their history-making first Test, which saw them win by an innings and 47 runs, they struggled to match that on the well-used pitch.

Ben Stokes, who missed that last week due to a hamstring injury, was left frustrated by the result and acknowledged it hinged on the coin toss.

"They used the home conditions in their favour," he said.

"If we had won the toss, it could have been completely different, and it would have looked like a silly decision.

"The toss was always going to be massive; me and Shan knew that."

Virat Kohli became just the fourth Indian batter to reach 9,000 Test runs as he restored some hope on day three against New Zealand.

The tourists carried over their momentum from Thursday, though stuttered at the start as Daryl Mitchell's (18) involvement was cut short early on, having only added four runs to their 180-3 overnight score. 

However, Rachin Ravindra started in fine form at the crease as he brought up 134 off 157 balls to set them on their way.

Ravindra Jadeja (3-72) helped keep the scores down after that, though Tim Southee's 65 helped push New Zealand towards their 402 total before Jadeja caught him.

Set a target of 356 to chase at the start of their second innings, India made a strong start, surpassing their first innings total of 46 by the end of the 12th over.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (35) and Rohit Sharma (52) got them going early on before Kohli brought up his landmark, finishing with 70 as he was caught on the final ball of the day.

India reached stumps at 231-3, trailing by 125 runs, and Sarfaraz Khan (70 not out) will be looking to help them close in on what could be an unlikely victory.

Data Debrief: Kohli's landmark day

Kohli did not start the Test in the best way, being dismissed for a duck in his first innings, but he made up for that on Friday. 

His knock of 70 was enough to take him past the 9,000 run mark (now 9,017), with only Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar previously reaching that total. 

He has now scored 50+ in three of his four Test innings against New Zealand at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru (103 and 51* - September 2012, 70 in October 2024).

Pakistan's spinners orchestrated England's second-innings collapse as the hosts rallied on day four to earn a 152-run win.

Having been subject to an innings and 47-run defeat in the first Test of the series, Pakistan forced a decider thanks to Sajid Khan (2-93) and Noman Ali (8-46).

England resumed on day four at 36-2 needing 297 runs to win, but Ollie Pope was only able to add one to his total (22) before being caught and bowled off Khan's second ball of the day.

Three more wickets fell over the next 40 minutes – Joe Root (18) and Harry Brook (16) were both trapped lbw by Noman, who also took Jamie Smith (6) shortly after.

Though Ben Stokes' 37 looked to provide some brief respite for England, alongside Brydon Carse's knock of 27 as they crept over the 100-mark, the tourists could not maintain any momentum.

Noman took the final seven wickets of the day and made sure things were wrapped up by lunch, dismissing Shoaib Bashir for a duck immediately after taking Jack Leach for a single run. 

Data Debrief: The wait is over for Pakistan

Pakistan have salvaged some pride following their heavy defeat in the first Test, but they have also ended their terrible run on home soil.

Shan Masood finally has his first win since taking over as captain and, along with it, put a halt to their six-match losing streak in Pakistan. 

It is all down to Noman and Khan, who combined for all 20 wickets, becoming the first pair to achieve such a feat in a Test since Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie in 1972.

England assistant coach Paul Collingwood said his side have belief in overhauling Pakistan's 297-run lead to claim the second Test in Multan. 

England ended the third day of the second Test at 36-2 after losing the early wickets of Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley in their second innings. 

Should the tourists pull off the chase, it would be their joint third-highest in an overseas Test and the best by any visiting team in Pakistan.

Having broken a number of records in the first Test, Collingwood insists that anything is possible with this current group of players. 

"We’ll still have that belief," said Collingwood. "We know it’s going to be tough and we’ve got to be realistic, but we’ll find ways to put them under pressure."

Asked if a win in this match would be better than the first-Test victory, Collingwood said: "It would, under the circumstances and conditions we’ve been given this time.

"There’s still hope, and there’s only hope because of the amazing things these guys have done in the past."

Salman Agha, meanwhile, pledged that Pakistan will put every effort into securing a first home Test win in "God knows how many years". 

Agha top-scored for Pakistan in their second innings with 63, though he was fortunate to reach that total, having been dropped twice during the 52nd over. 

He also showered praise on Sajid Khan, who ended with figures of 7-111 in the first innings before claiming the early wicket of Duckett on Thursday.

"To be honest, I was thinking, 'It is going to be hard,'" Salman told Sky Sports.

"There was a lot of changes - and big changes. But the way the team has gelled, and the way the new guys have come in and we've welcomed them [has been great]. They come in and they are chipping in.

"Look at Sajid. He took seven wickets and scored important runs, and then you will see Noman Ali.

"He came and took wickets, and scored important runs. I think it's very good for Pakistan cricket, the way they came and gelled in and contributed. That's amazing."

Pakistan have not won a home Test match since they beat South Africa in February 2021, with four draws and seven defeats since then, losing all six Test matches this year.

Salman said that ending those streaks would be "very important" and that Pakistan are aiming to right their wrongs from recent years. 

"It's going to be massive, because we haven't won a Test match at home for… I don't know, God knows how many years now," he said.

"It's going to be a very, very big thing for us. We will make sure we will put all the effort there and make sure we win this game, because that's very important for us."

Rohit Sharma took responsibility after India posted their lowest-ever home score in the first Test versus New Zealand, saying he was "hurting" after they were skittled for 46 runs.

After Wednesday's play was called off due to heavy rain in Bengaluru, India produced a historically bad effort with the bat as Matt Henry (5-15) and Will O'Rourke (4-22) starred for the Black Caps.

Five India batters – Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin – walked for ducks as New Zealand needed just 32 overs to bowl their hosts out.

India's score was their worst-ever on home soil, having previously been all out for 75 against West Indies in 1987, and the third-lowest in their Test history overall.

Rohit opted to bat after winning the toss in what many viewed as a puzzling decision, and he admitted he had misjudged the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium surface after stumps.

"You see and you try and make the judgement. Sometimes you make the right call, sometimes you don't, and I was on the other side of it this time around," Rohit said.

"I'm hurting a little bit because I made that call. But see, for us as a team, I think these are the challenges.

"So what if we put ourselves under pressure a little bit? We want to play well. We want to challenge ourselves. 

"This time around, it didn't come off, the challenges that were thrown at us. We didn't respond well, and we found ourselves in a situation where we got bowled out for 46 runs. 

"As a captain, it definitely hurts to see that number, but in 365 days you'll make two or three bad calls. That's okay."

Only twice has Black Caps bowler Henry bettered Thursday's figures in a Test innings, with seven-wicket hauls against South Africa in 2022 and Australia in 2024, both on home soil.

Speaking to reporters after the close of play, he said: "It was a great way to start the day but it was also about the way we could build pressure with the bat. 

"There was a lot of grass taken off and we just wanted to keep it simple and there was a lot of assistance in the morning. 

"The key is to control what you can control, to work on your game and improve. With the game affected by rain, it's important to have a dominant day like this. It's obviously tough to play in India."

England's second Test against Pakistan hangs in the balance after the tourists closed on 36-2, chasing a 297 victory target after an enthralling third day in Multan.

Ben Duckett, England's hero on the second day, was removed by Sajid Khan (1-27) for a duck, with Zak Crawley (three) following just under three overs later. 

England had resumed on 239-6, but Sajid continued his impressive spin play from the previous day, taking the wickets of Brydon Carse (four), Matthew Potts (six) and Shoaib Bashir (nine) to post figures of 7-111 for the first innings.

England wasted no time in skittling India's top order, though, with Bashir claiming the wickets of Abdullah Shafique (four), Saim Ayub (22) and Shan Masood (11) as Pakistan found themselves 77-4 after 20 overs.

However, England were frustrated by Salman Ali Agha's knock of 63, made even more painful by the fact he was dropped twice in the 52nd over, on four and six. 

But the surface in Multan, which has benefitted the spin bowlers, came into play again as Jack Leach (3-67) saw Pakistan bowled out for 221 in their second innings.

Needing 297 runs to win, which would represent England's largest-ever run chase in Asia, Duckett's favoured sweep was caught by Mohammad Rizwan, before Crawley was stumped by the Pakistan wicketkeeper.

Joe Root (12) and Ollie Pope (21) are the men tasked with continuing England's chase when they start at the crease on Friday.

Data Debrief: England stumped in Multan

Crawley's stumping in the fourth over of the second innings is the third earliest in a Test innings that an England batter has been stumped.

The earliest to get dismissed in that manner for England was Alastair Cook, who was stumped with the fifth ball of the innings off Ravichandran Ashwin in Kolkata in 2012.

His loss, and that of Duckett, could prove costly unless Root and Pope can repeat their first-Test heroics.

India produced their lowest Test score ever on home soil in the first innings of their opening match against New Zealand, scoring just 46 runs in Bangalore.

Devon Conway's 91 from 105 deliveries helped the Black Caps to a 134-run lead on Thursday after day one was washed out, with India facing an uphill task in trying to resurrect their hopes of victory. 

Tim Southee (1-8) started the collapse when he clean bowled captain Rohit Sharma for two, with Matt Henry (5-15) and Will O'Rourke (4-22) continuing the onslaught.

Virat Kohli was one of five India batters to be dismissed for a duck as they collapsed from 31-3 to 46 all out with just over 31 overs bowled. 

The tourists surpassed India's measly total with nine wickets still in hand, as New Zealand openers Tom Latham and Conway started strongly.

Kuldeep Yadav (1-57) and Ravindra Jadeja (1-28) managed to take the wickets of Conway and Will Young (33), though the damage had already been done. 

Rachin Ravindra (22) and Daryl Mitchell (14) will start at the crease on day two for New Zealand, who will be looking to press home their advantage after reaching stumps 180/3.

Data Debrief: When it rains, it pours

After seeing the opening day of play postponed due to heavy rain, India may have wished for the heavens to open once again during their remarkable collapse.

Thursday's 46 runs is the lowest-ever Test innings score India have managed on home soil, and their third-lowest Test score ever. 

Their worst came against Australia in Adelaide in 2020, when they were bowled out for 36, with their previous lowest total at home in Test matches coming in 1987, when they scored 75 against West Indies.