In Afghanistan’s second innings of the one-time Test match against Bangladesh at Sheik Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi from October 9–13, 2026, Sediqullah Atal scored 111 off 332 deliveries. On the last day of the match, Atal batted for over eight hours to help Afghanistan reach 346 for 8 in their second innings, resulting in a draw. His first century in first-class cricket and the first by an Afghan batter in a Test fourth innings came from 277 balls and featured eight fours and three sixes.
Sediqullah Atal scored 111 off 332 deliveries
Toby Radford, the batting coach for Afghanistan, pinpointed the precise technical changes that allowed Atal to win the second innings after having difficulty in the first. Atal is primarily a white-ball cricket player, and Toby Radford spent a lot of time with him, concentrating on his defense and positioning at the crease. Atal’s ability to control his footwork and weight distribution against various bowling styles was the main focus of the coaching work.
Sediqullah Atal’s strategy in the first innings and his sophisticated technique in the second were clearly different, according to Radford’s analysis. Atal had trouble controlling his weight and positioning in the first innings, which caused him to play at deliveries that were outside of his comfort zone. Atal had learned how to use his body more efficiently at the crease by the last day thanks to Radford’s coaching.
Sediq was getting caught on the crease and playing at slightly wider deliveries during the first innings. He played straighter and was able to judge the off stump more accurately today (the fifth day) because he came farther across with his guard and his head and weight were coming down the wicket. According to Radford, “He left a lot of good deliveries.”
He also had a good forward and backward stride and picked length well against the spinners. He performed admirably in this fantastic innings today. “He is at his best when his weight is coming down rather than across the wicket,” he continued.
Richard Pybus, the head coach of Afghanistan, acknowledges that Radford’s technical advice had a major influence on Atal’s performance and attributes the breakthrough to his coaching style. Pybus emphasized Radford’s capacity to convey intricate coaching concepts without overwhelming the player or getting in the way of his instincts. Atal’s own perseverance was also very important; prior to this game, he was having trouble with his form, but he gave the technical changes his all.
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“I don’t want to take credit for that (Sediq’s hundred), and I believe Toby Radford and Sediq deserve all the praise. The difficulty lies in managing sessions. As a team, we had to play catch-up cricket after a few sessions where we let things slip. In general, we read it fairly well from a wicket perspective. He pitched a fantastic innings (Atal). He worked extremely hard in this innings because he had been a little out of touch, according to Pybus.
According to Pybus, Sediqullah Atal just needed to maintain that confidence throughout his Test career because he had already done all the work. The team had clear batting objectives going into the game, including the pursuit of hundreds and significant individual scores, the head coach emphasized. Under Radford’s leadership, Atal’s first Test century was a noteworthy accomplishment for both the player and Afghanistan’s batting progress.
“At the start of his Test career, he has completed all the necessary preparation; all he needs to do now is maintain that confidence. Sediq deserves praise for making it better. Toby Radford deserves praise for his exceptional work with the batting unit. As a batting team, we had objectives before the game that we wanted to accomplish.
Pybus stated, “We wanted hundreds and we wanted really big hundreds. “In order to convert his hundred and give credit to Toby and the work he’s been doing with the batters, Rahmat was left short without partners in the first inning. He’s an excellent technical coach. “He knows how to communicate and share just enough information without getting in the way of their game,” he said.
