Shanto hits back-to-back tons as Bangladesh throw massive challenge to Afghanistan

Left-handed top-order batter Najmul Hossain Shanto displayed exceptional batting prowess by scoring a century in each innings of the Dhaka Test against Afghanistan on Friday.

His outstanding performance has helped Bangladesh offer a tough challenge for the tourists.

Shanto scored 146 in the first innings and followed it up with a score of 124 in the second innings.

This remarkable feat makes him the second Bangladeshi batter to achieve the milestone of scoring centuries in both innings of a Test match, with Mominul Haque being the first to do so against Sri Lanka in 2018.

At the conclusion of the 65th over of Bangladesh's second innings, the hosts had built a substantial lead of 592 runs.

In the first innings, Bangladesh posted a total of 382 runs, with Afghanistan's Nijat Masood making an impressive debut by claiming a five-wicket haul.

In response, Afghanistan struggled and were dismissed for a mere 146 runs, with Ebadot Hossain taking four wickets. Bangladesh gained a first-innings advantage of 234 runs, solidifying their dominant position in the match from an early stage.