Even before the start of the Rawalpindi Test, the green pitch had been the center of attention. Pakistan, notably, did not include a specialist spinner in their squad and instead opted for a pace-heavy bowling attack, selecting four fast bowlers in their playing XI. The strategy was clear: exploit the grassy wicket to dismantle Bangladesh’s batting lineup.

Bangladesh’s pacers initially took advantage of the seam movement on offer, but as the match progressed, the pitch started to assist the batters more. Pakistan managed to post a formidable first-innings total of 448 runs before declaring late on Day Two. In response, Bangladesh finished the day at 27 without loss.

For Bangladesh's batting coach, David Hemp, the grass-covered pitch in Pakistan is somewhat unfamiliar. Hemp, who has previous experience coaching the Pakistan women’s team, noted the uniqueness of the surface. During the post-day press conference, he said, “I think a bad ball can get a wicket, so you don't necessarily... I certainly feel that as we stand at the moment. Look, traditionally, what you see in Pakistan is the games go into day 4 and 5, at the back end of those days, certainly day 5 recently. This is a different type of surface. There's more grass on it. So we'll see in terms of... At the moment, it looks a very good wicket based on what we've seen. But let's have a conversation in two days time and see what's happening over the next two days, especially if the weather's hot as it has been today.”

When asked why Bangladesh’s bowlers couldn’t generate reverse swing, Hemp explained, “Reverse swing comes from, obviously, the surface. I think there's a lot more grass on this surface than you normally get in Pakistan. Also, the outfield is quite lush. So the reverse swing will come from conditions that help the ball to get a bit older quicker. I don't think the conditions were... We'll see what happens tomorrow. But from our point of view, we didn't think the conditions were as such to help with that reverse swing.”