Litton Das spearheaded a remarkable fightback for Bangladesh on Day 1 of the second Test in Sylhet, rescuing his side from a precarious 116 for 6 to a respectable first-innings total of 278. After Pakistan opted to bowl first in helpful conditions, their pace duo of Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad ran through the Bangladesh top order, ensuring none of the top five batsmen crossed the 30-run mark. However, Litton counter-attacked brilliantly with a brisk 126 off 159 balls, anchoring vital lower-order partnerships, most notably a highly productive ninth-wicket stand with Shoriful Islam. In reply, Pakistan’s openers safely navigated a tricky six-over spell late in the day to finish at 21 for no loss.
Litton Das becomes Bangladesh’s troubleshooter on Day 1
The morning session began with immediate drama as opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy fell in the very first over, undone by a moving ball and tentative footwork that resulted in a catch at slip. Tanzid Hasan Tamim and then attempted to steady the ship against a probing new-ball spell that frequently beat the outside edge. The duo managed to ease the pressure with occasional boundaries, during a dramatic period that also saw Pakistan’s Hasan Ali carried off on a stretcher after hurting his head while attempting a return catch off Tanzid, though he thankfully returned to action later in the session.
Pakistan missed a golden opportunity early in the afternoon session when Sajid Khan found the glove of Mushfiqur, but a muted on-field decision and Pakistan’s reluctance to review allowed the veteran batsman to survive. However, the breakthrough wasn’t delayed for long. Abbas broke the 43-run stand by inducing an under-edge from Bangladesh captain Najmul, sending him back to the pavilion. Shahzad then struck another quick blow by trapping Mushfiqur leg-before, triggering another collapse that saw Bangladesh slide rapidly to 110/5.
Khurram Shahzad breaks Bangladesh’s back with fiery fifer
Bangladesh’s troubles deepened shortly after the lunch break when Khurram Shahzad claimed his third wicket, dismissing Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was caught in the deep off a pull shot by Hasan Ali. Pakistan’s disciplined bowling strangled the scoring rate, restricting the hosts to just 16 runs in the first hour of the session. However, Litton Das and Taijul Islam fought back valiantly, forging a crucial half-century partnership that steadied the ship and guided Bangladesh to 168 for 6 by the Tea interval.
The 60-run resistance was finally broken early in the final session when spinner Sajid Khan clean-bowled Taijul. Undeterred, Litton brought up his half-century and capitalized on a massive slice of luck when neither the umpire nor the Pakistan fielders noticed a faint edge off his glove during a hook shot against Shahzad. Litton then unleashed a flurry of boundaries to push Bangladesh past the 200-run mark, even as Shahzad secured his fourth wicket at the other end by forcing Taskin Ahmed to edge one to slip.
As he neared his milestone, Litton smashed a six off Shahzad to enter the 90s. He was nearly left stranded on 99 when was given out leg-before off Sajid, but a successful review revealed the ball was missing the stumps. Litton then brought up a magnificent century with a backfoot punch through the covers off Shahzad, celebrating the feat by pulling the very next ball for six. Shoriful proved to be an excellent ally, robustly defending his wicket and consistently turning over the strike to his centurion partner. The entertaining 64-run ninth-wicket partnership, which was briefly interrupted by Shoriful receiving treatment for right-foot cramps, finally ended when Litton fell to a short ball from Hasan Ali. Hasan then wrapped up the innings in the very same over by inducing an edge from Nahid Rana into the wicketkeeper’s gloves, bowling Bangladesh out for 278.
Tasked with navigating a tricky 30-minute period before stumps, Pakistan openers Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal handled the challenge with composure. Bangladesh rotated through the pace of Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and Nahid Rana, alongside the spin of Mehidy Hasan Miraz, but they failed to find a breakthrough. The Pakistani openers struck a few confident boundaries and safely guided their team to the close of play at 21 for 0.