Litton Das Century Rescues Bangladesh in Second Test vs Pakistan
A Resilient Fightback at the Crease
The opening day of the second and final Test match between Bangladesh and Pakistan proved to be a quintessential tale of two halves. After a shaky start that threatened to derail their innings entirely, Bangladesh found stability through the sheer determination of wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das. His magnificent 126 helped the visitors post a total of 278, providing a platform that looked highly improbable during the early exchanges of the morning session.
Early Struggles Against Disciplined Pace
Pakistan, having won the toss and elected to field, immediately justified their captain’s decision. The pace attack, led by the clinical Khurram Shahzad and the probing Muhammad Abbas, made life incredibly difficult for the Bangladesh openers. Abbas wasted no time, dismissing Mahmudul Hasan for a duck on just the second ball of the match, setting the tone for a testing day for the visiting side.
Tanzid Hasan, making his Test debut, showed flashes of promise with a 26-run cameo, including a well-timed cover drive. However, he struggled to build a substantial foundation. The Pakistan bowlers were unrelenting, with Shahzad—replacing Shaheen Shah Afridi—leading the charge with impressive figures of 4-81. The situation worsened when Hasan Ali was stretchered off after an awkward fall, but his eventual return to the field highlighted the fighting spirit within the Pakistan camp, as he went on to claim two vital wickets, including that of the centurion himself.
The Litton Das Special
With the scoreboard reading 116-6, Bangladesh faced the very real threat of being bundled out for a sub-par total. Enter Litton Das. Displaying a mix of classic technique and aggressive intent, Das took the responsibility of steering the ship. He combined effectively with Taijul Islam, putting together a crucial 60-run partnership for the seventh wicket that shifted the momentum back in favor of the visitors.
Das reached his fifty off 93 balls, but it was his acceleration thereafter that truly defined the innings. Racing to his sixth Test century in just 135 balls, his innings was characterized by elegant backfoot punches and confident stroke play. Reflecting on the pressure, Das noted, “When Taijul came in, our score was around 116-6. My target was how to take the team to 200, I was not thinking about a century. I sent a message asking whether I should attack or not. The feedback was to keep scoring runs, and so I attacked after 50.”
Pakistan’s Response and Future Outlook
Despite Das’s heroics, Pakistan’s bowling unit remained a constant threat. Abbas (3-45) and Shahzad (4-81) were supported by Sajid Khan, who bowled a marathon 31 overs. By the time Bangladesh was dismissed for 278, the pitch had certainly provided significant assistance to the bowlers. Pakistan’s openers, Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal, navigated the final six overs of the day without incident, reaching 21-0 and trailing by 257 runs at stumps.
Khurram Shahzad was quick to acknowledge the importance of the missed opportunities, noting that Das had been dropped earlier in his innings. “Litton Das was lucky today. Not one, but two chances were created. So, if those had been taken, the result could have been totally different,” Shahzad admitted. As the match progresses into the second day, the pitch conditions will likely dictate the outcome. With Babar Azam back in the Pakistan lineup after his injury layoff, the hosts will be eager to overhaul the total and mount a massive first-innings lead. For Bangladesh, the task now turns to their own bowling attack to replicate the discipline they showed in the first Test, as they look to defend their total and maintain their dominance in the series.
