Litton Das struck a sparkling sixth Test century to pull Bangladesh back from trouble on Day 1 of the second match in Sylhet, where the hosts recovered after losing six wickets for 116 and reached a solid total of 278. Pakistan, sent in after opting to bowl, kept things tight early and ensured that none of the top five batters cleared the 30-run mark, but Litton’s 126 off 159 balls—supported by key partnerships lower down—helped Bangladesh build momentum. In reply, Pakistan finished the day on 21 without loss, batting out the final six overs with Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal seeing off the pressure.
Key takeaways
- Litton Das anchored Bangladesh with a brisk 126 off 159 to lift the hosts after a collapse to 116 for 6.
- Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad used the early conditions well, with none of Pakistan’s bowling victims among the top five reaching 30.
- Bangladesh posted 278 as the wicketkeeper-batter forged multiple stands, including a highly productive ninth-wicket effort with Shoriful Islam.
- Pakistan ended the first day at 21 for 0, surviving six overs late while Awais and Fazal remained unbeaten.
- Hasan Ali suffered a head injury while attempting a return catch of Tanzid during the first session, later returning to the field.
- Litton survived an lbw moment after a successful review, after replays showed the ball was missing the stumps.
Bangladesh’s recovery after a shaky start
Bangladesh began the day in a difficult position after sliding to 116 for 6, but the momentum shifted as Litton Das produced his 159-ball innings to steer the team forward. With Pakistan choosing to field first, the early movement and slightly unsettled footwork cost Bangladesh wickets, and the visitors also struck at regular intervals in the opening phase.
In the very first over, Mahmudul Hasan Joy was removed almost immediately as the combination of the moving ball and uncertain timing resulted in a slip catch. Tanzid Hasan Tamim and Mominul Haque attempted to steady the innings, yet Pakistan’s fresh-ball bowlers kept finding ways to trouble the batters and even went close to getting edges on a few occasions.
Pressure eased slightly when boundaries arrived, but Hasan Ali had to be carried off on a stretcher after hurting his head while trying to take a return catch of Tanzid. The fast bowler later came back onto the field during the first session, though the incident briefly disrupted Pakistan’s rhythm.
After those early setbacks, the second wicket partnership added 44 runs before Tanzid was dismissed by Abbas, caught off a leading edge. Mominul then fell a few overs later as Shahzad beat his attempted drive and had him bowled, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 63 for 3.
During the middle phase, Hasan received an official warning for running on the danger area of the pitch, highlighting how closely the match officials were monitoring the conditions. Bangladesh still managed to rebuild, though, with Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim putting together a steady stand that took the team to 101 for 3 by Lunch.
Middle session swings and the Litton-led surge
Early in the second session, Pakistan missed a chance to remove Mushfiqur Rahim. Sajid Khan appeared to find the glove while Mushfiqur tried to clip, but the on-field umpire rejected the appeal, and the visitors also chose not to pursue a review.
Najmul and Mushfiqur extended their partnership to 43, but Abbas eventually broke through by taking the wicket of the Bangladesh captain. Shanto was dismissed after under-edging a catch behind the stumps. Shortly after that, Mushfiqur was trapped in front by Shahzad, and Bangladesh slipped to 110 for 5.
Then Shahzad struck again, claiming his third wicket as Mehidy Hasan Miraz was caught off a pull. Hasan held a strong catch in the deep, and Pakistan’s disciplined spell ensured Bangladesh could only score 16 in the hour after Lunch. At that stage, the innings had moved to 116 for 6, but Litton and Taijul Islam tightened the game with an important run partnership heading into Tea.
By the end of that busy period, Bangladesh reached 168 for 6 after a hardworking session. However, Pakistan’s seventh-wicket stand was eventually ended early in the third session when Sajid had Taijul bowled, taking the partnership to 60 off 114.
Litton continued to resist and brought up his fifty, even though Pakistan again missed chances. One decisive moment came when an attempted hook off Shahzad drew an lbw appeal; neither the umpire nor the fielding side spotted a glove involved, but after review, replays showed the angled-in delivery had missed the stumps. Litton took full advantage of the reprieve, punishing Shahzad with a backfoot drive through covers to reach his hundred, and then pulling the next ball for six.
Shoriful Islam played a crucial supporting role at the other end, keeping Pakistan from landing further blows and ensuring Litton faced the majority of the strike. As the ninth-wicket partnership crossed 50, Shoriful needed physio attention due to what appeared to be cramps in his right foot. He returned after a short spell, but the stand still came to an end when Litton fell to a short ball from Hasan.
Nahid Rana was dismissed in the same over as he edged to the wicketkeeper, bringing Bangladesh’s innings to a close late in the day.
Pakistan’s reply: openers see out the final overs
With only a limited window to bat, Pakistan had a tricky 30-minute period to navigate before stumps. Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal got their innings underway with a few boundaries, while Bangladesh’s bowlers used Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam in the earlier phase and then turned to Mehidy and Rana towards the end.
Despite the change in bowling, Bangladesh could not break the opening pair. Pakistan carried the momentum through to stumps without losing a wicket, finishing Day 1 on 21 for 0, with Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal both unbeaten.
Brief scores
Bangladesh 278 (Litton Das 126, Najmul Hossain Shanto 29; Khurram Shahzad 4-81, Mohammad Abbas 3-45) lead Pakistan 21/0 (Azan Awais 13*, Abdullah Fazal 8*) by 257 runs.
