Pakistan eye 400-plus

Pakistan pacer Khurram Shahzad has set an ambitious target of 400 to 450 runs in their first innings after bundling Bangladesh out for 278 on the opening day of the Sylhet Test, saying that the surface is far more batting-friendly than the one used in Mirpur.

Pakistan made a steady start to their reply, reaching 21 without loss from six overs at stumps. Azan Awais was unbeaten on 13 and Abdullah Fazal on eight, with the visitors trailing by 257 runs.

"This pitch is very different from Dhaka. In Dhaka, the pitch was supporting the bowling because it had a lot of cracks — there was up and down and uneven bounce. Here, it seems like a lot of runs can be made. So if we get a good partnership, we will try to score 400 or 450, Insha'Allah," Shahzad said after the day's play.

The right-arm pacer, who claimed four wickets for 81 runs on Saturday, also backed Pakistan's four-man bowling attack, insisting the workload was manageable. "We bowled them out even with four bowlers. In my opinion, our combination is fine," he added.