Mohammad Ismail and his family are sat in the Imran Khan enclosure, west of the Pavilion building at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. They are wearing Bangladesh jerseys and caps, with their umbrellas pulled down in the extreme heat. You could however see their smiles from underneath. There is a row of fans sitting with Bangladesh flags in their hands. There are more in the other stands, but interestingly not all of them are in the hands of Bangladeshis.
Ismail works in the Bangladesh high commission in Islamabad. He is sitting with warrant officer Sarwar Uddin. They are among a handful of families who live in Islamabad and traveled to Rawalpindi for this game. Many work in the high commission, while some are posted here on private jobs. Presently, they are enjoying the Mushfiqur Rahim-Mehidy Hasan Miraz 196-run partnership for the seventh wicket. As soon as we settle down, Mushfiqur paddle sweeps Salman Ali Agha for his 17th boundary.
A big cheer goes up in the stands, which is surprising because the rest of those sitting in this enclosure are Pakistanis. It is a genuine cheer. It is not in jest. When Mushfiqur reached his eleventh Test century, there was a huge cheer around the ground. It is a sign of a decent crowd that cheers for both sides and that has surprised Ismail and Sarwar.
"Many Pakistanis have carried Bangladesh flags to the stadium this time, to my surprise," Ismail said. "I haven't been here for a long time but I can safely say that it is a first. When we watched Asia Cup matches in Lahore, we waved Bangladesh flags. This time you can see a lot of locals actually bringing Bangladesh flags for genuine support."
One of those locals, a youngster named Abdullah, said that Rawalpindi fans often bring flags and posters of visiting players to the grounds. He said that this time the support is genuine as they enjoy Bangladesh's cricket. Abdullah said he also followed the student protests in Bangladesh in the last few weeks, which made him more interested about the country. Everyone wants to know about August 5 and how it will shape Bangladesh's future.
Pakistan's interest in Bangladesh cricket isn't new though. Hundreds of Pakistani cricketers have played in the Dhaka Premier League since the 1980s while many have also played in the BPL since 2012. A good performance in the first Test in Rawalpindi has the potential of bringing more Pakistani fans to the ground, and perhaps some more supporting Bangladesh too.