Pakistan headed into Day 2 of the second Test with a cautious 21 without loss after Bangladesh posted 278 on Day 1 in Sylhet, but the visitors’ relief quickly turned into frustration as they missed key chances during the Bangladesh innings. Litton Das’ standout century, supported by patient lower-order partnerships, rescued the hosts from a collapse at 116 for 6 and set up a tightly poised contest for the next session.
Key takeaways
- Pakistan finished Day 1 on 21 without loss, with Azan Awais unbeaten on 13 and Abdullah Fazal on 8.
- Litton Das’ counter-attacking 126 (159 balls) included 16 fours and two sixes to power Bangladesh’s recovery to 278.
- Bangladesh lost three wickets for 15 runs immediately after lunch, slipping from stability to 116 for 6.
- Pakistan missed two crucial review moments during Bangladesh’s innings as later replays suggested faint edges from Mushfiqur and Litton.
- Shah Masood did not challenge the umpire on those decisions, despite the evidence showing potential contact.
Reviews missed and Pakistan’s frustration
Pakistan rued two missed review opportunities during Bangladesh’s innings. Later replays indicated faint edges involving Mushfiqur and Litton, yet captain Shan Masood opted against appealing to the umpire’s calls at the time.
“We were getting wickets early on. Unluckily, we missed a couple of reviews,” said Shahzad. “If we had gotten them out there, the situation would have been completely different.”
Litton and the lower order rebuild
Litton Das received valuable support from the tail to complete Bangladesh’s recovery. He formed a patient 60-run stand with Taijul Islam, who made 16 off 114 deliveries. Litton reached his half-century in 93 balls before stepping on the accelerator.
He needed 42 more balls to bring up his century, achieving it with a cover drive off Shahzad, and then struck the next delivery for six to underline the momentum shift.
Litton then added 38 runs in partnership with Taskin Ahmed before a decisive 64-run ninth-wicket stand with Shoriful Islam, scored off just 73 balls, pushed the innings further out of danger.
“The most important thing in this innings is that Taijul, Taskin and Shoriful all batted well and faced a lot of balls,” Litton said.
Day 2 opening: Bangladesh’s recovery continues, Pakistan strikes early
With Bangladesh in trouble at 116 for 6 after lunch, Pakistan’s bowlers looked set to seize control again. However, the innings had already been transformed by the contributions of the middle and lower order, and Day 2 began with Pakistan’s batters safely under wraps.
Bangladesh began the second day with Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal at the crease, resuming after Pakistan’s 21 without loss at stumps on Day 1. The action resumed in the morning session, with Shoriful Islam preparing to bowl the first ball of Day 2.
7.1 overs, 22/0: Taskin Ahmed to Abdullah Fazal — Taskin delivers a ball that skids across the batter, around off, and Abdullah Fazal shoulders arms. The ball clips Fazal’s pads on the way to the keeper.
6.6 overs, 22/0: Shoriful Islam to Azan Awais — a full delivery outside off, Awais guides it to gully for a dot.
6.5 overs, 22/0: Shoriful Islam to Azan Awais — on a length around off, Awais watches closely and leaves.
6.4 overs, 22/0: Shoriful Islam to Azan Awais — good length around off, Awais stays behind the line and keeps it out.
6.3 overs, 22/0: Shoriful Islam to Azan Awais — on a length around off, Awais leaves it.
6.2 overs, 22/0: Shoriful Islam to Abdullah Fazal — short and wide of off, Fazal cuts to deep point for a single.
6.1 overs, 21/0: Shoriful Islam to Abdullah Fazal — a hard length around off shapes in, Fazal leaves but the ball nips back and hits him high on the thigh pad.
22/1 (7.3 overs): Taskin Ahmed to Abdullah Fazal, OUT — caught behind. Taskin strikes with the nagging length around off, shaping it across Fazal. The batter tentatively pokes from the front foot and edges through to the keeper. Litton Das dives to his left and takes a regulated catch.
Bangladesh’s innings: collapse after lunch, earlier strikes and partnerships
Bangladesh lost momentum right after lunch, shedding three wickets for just 15 runs. Shanto was dismissed when he edged Abbas behind for 29. Mushfiqur fell lbw for 23, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz departed for four after being caught at deep fine leg. That sequence left the hosts wobbling at 116/6.
Pakistan also struck early in the innings when Mahmudul Hasan Joy was removed for a duck. He edged Mohammad Abbas to second slip off the second ball of the match.
Tanzid Hasan showed promise, quickening the pace with 26 off 34 balls and finding three boundaries. But his attempt at an ambitious pull shot against Abbas ended with the batter caught off the bowler’s own delivery.
Then Mominul Haque was bowled for 22 by Khurram Shahzad.
Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim tried to stabilize matters, putting together a 43-run partnership that briefly kept Bangladesh afloat before the post-lunch collapse.
Pitch and match context for Day 2 in Sylhet
Preparations for Day 2 were framed by a pitch profile that highlighted early seam movement. Athar Ali Khan pointed out that the surface had offered assistance to fast bowlers and that Pakistan’s bowlers had set an example by targeting the key 4 to 6 meter length. He noted the importance of mixing full and short deliveries to force batters into playing at every ball, while suggesting the morning session could remain particularly productive for the bowling side. Khan also stressed that Nahid Rana’s extra pace could trouble Bangladesh’s batters, and that Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed would need to stay disciplined and attack the best areas to take advantage of seam movement.
Khurram Shahzad discussed the Pakistan bowling effort and the early breakthroughs that helped keep Bangladesh under 300. He admitted to feeling a very faint edge off his own bowling against Litton Das, which prompted a brief, uncertain discussion with teammates Mohammad Rizwan and Agha Salman about whether there had been contact. Shahzad also observed that this pitch lacked the cracks and uneven bounce associated with Dhaka, and he described his plan with the new ball as repeatedly hitting the seam to maximize whatever support the surface provides.
Litton Das reflected on a difficult start at the crease. He said the fall of quick wickets left him momentarily unsure due to challenging conditions, but he chose a high-risk, aggressive approach because the tail-enders could not be expected to carry the scoring alone. His instruction for the lower-order was simple: occupy the crease and face as many balls as possible, trusting that he could score if he stayed in. He also credited Taskin Ahmed, Taijul Islam, and especially Shoriful Islam for crucial, gritty support during the lower-order partnerships that altered the course of the innings.
With Pakistan trailing by 257 runs after closing Day 1 on 21 without loss, the match was described as evenly poised heading into the second day. Play was set to resume at 3.00 am GMT on 17 May 2026, with pre-match buildup starting one hour earlier.
How Day 1 unfolded: innings totals, bowling impact, and stumps details
Bangladesh’s first innings ultimately ended at 278. The number carried weight because the team had appeared heading toward a collapse at 116 for 6. Litton finished as the clear standout for the home side, making 126 before departing, while Khurram Shahzad took four wickets as Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker.
Mohammad Abbas finished with three wickets after consistently moving the ball both ways, supported by Hasan Ali’s two scalps and Sajid Khan’s one.
Pakistan’s response to end Day 1 was handled smoothly by Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal, who preserved their wickets and took the score to 21 without loss after six overs, ensuring the tourists ended the day on a confident note.
The turning point of Bangladesh’s later sessions came through a masterclass in lower-order resistance. Litton’s rescue act was spearheaded by partnerships with Taijul Islam and later the tail. A 60-run stand with Taijul continued until off-spinner Sajid Khan broke through Taijul’s defence. Litton then kept the tail covered by taking control of the strike and boosting the scoring rate, culminating in his sixth Test century. He followed that with a 64-run partnership for the ninth wicket alongside Shoriful Islam, helping Bangladesh squeeze out runs even when the innings still looked precarious.
Despite the early vulnerability, Bangladesh managed a spectacular middle-order resurgence across the second and third sessions. Mominul Haque and Tanzid Hasan were central to that rebuild, appearing composed while withstanding the hostile bowling. Their momentum was interrupted when Mohammad Abbas produced a breakthrough that snapped the stand and swung momentum back to Pakistan.
The second Test opened with Pakistan winning the toss and electing to bowl on a surface that proved responsive. Mohammad Abbas struck in the very first over, removing Mahmudul Hasan Joy. Pakistan’s momentum was later disrupted when fast bowler Hasan Ali was forced to leave the field after he fell on his head while attempting to take a catch off his own bowling.
Stumps on Day 1: Session 1 saw 26 overs bowled with 101 runs scored for the loss of 3 wickets. Session 2 had 28 overs with 67 runs and 3 wickets lost. Session 3 featured 29 overs with 131 runs added and 4 wickets taken.
Day 1 closing overs: Pakistan trailing by 257
As the day approached its end, the final moments featured boundaries and disciplined batting from Pakistan’s bowlers. At 5.6 overs, Nahid Rana to Azan Awais — FOUR. Azan Awais timed a pitched-up delivery around off and drove it through covers for four, finishing Day 1 with a boundary. Stumps on day one came with Pakistan trailing by 257 runs.
5.5 overs, 17/0: Nahid Rana to Abdullah Fazal — driven through covers for three. Taijul Islam saved one run by moving to his left from deep point.
5.4 overs, 14/0: Nahid Rana to Abdullah Fazal — hard length wide of off, Fazal leaves it.
5.3 overs, 14/0: Nahid Rana to Abdullah Fazal — a short ball darting in around the stumps, Fazal blocks out.
5.2 overs, 14/0: Nahid Rana to Abdullah Fazal — short and around off, Fazal leaves again.
5.1 overs, 14/0: Nahid Rana to Abdullah Fazal — back of a length around off, Fazal covers his off stump and shoulders arms.
4.6 overs, 14/0: Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Azan Awais — darted on middle and leg, Awais blocks off his front foot.
4.5 overs, 14/0: Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Azan Awais — tossed up on the pads, Awais pushes to mid on for no run.
4.4 overs, 14/0: Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Azan Awais — full on off, Awais blocks around mid-wicket.
4.3 overs, 14/0: Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Azan Awais — quicker one around middle and leg, Awais rolls it to mid on.
4.2 overs, 14/0: Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Azan Awais — tossed up on the pads, Awais defends off the front foot.
Spin then entered the attack as Mehidy Hasan Miraz replaced Taskin Ahmed.
4.1 overs, 14/0: Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Azan Awais — fuller on off, Awais keeps it out.
3.6 overs, 14/0: Shoriful Islam to Abdullah Fazal — hard length on off, Fazal leaves it.
3.5 overs, 14/0: Shoriful Islam to Abdullah Fazal — on a length around off, Fazal pushes to mid on.
