Is Litton Kumar Das’s latest Test century his finest in the longest format? No one can answer that with certainty until he steps away from the game, but one conclusion already looks hard to dispute: this knock sits among the standout innings of his career. When Litton reached the three-figure mark, former Pakistan captain and television commentator Ramiz Raja even suggested on air that it was far more valuable than the number itself.
What made the innings feel extraordinary was the context in which it arrived. Bangladesh had slipped to 116 for 6, and the situation demanded protection of the lower order rather than reckless acceleration. Litton delivered exactly that kind of control, steering the team to 278 at the close of play almost by himself. Along the way, he compiled a 60-run partnership with Taijul Islam for the seventh wicket, then added another 38 with Taskin Ahmed and a further stand of 64 with Shoriful Islam.
By the time the day’s batting ended, Bangladesh had added 162 runs in the company of those three lower-order batters, yet it was Litton who carried the weight—he contributed 124 of those runs. The figures underline not only the quality of the century, but also the precision with which he managed strike. He consistently resisted the temptation to surrender the ball when singles were available, turning down easier options to keep the momentum under his command.
Crucially, though, Litton’s careful approach did not translate into slow scoring. His century arrived in two distinct phases: the first half-century took 93 deliveries, while the second came in just 35 balls—an abrupt switch that hinted at a deliberate plan rather than a sudden burst of luck.
That intent was especially visible when Pakistan’s Khurram Shahzad tried to disrupt him with short-ball pressure. After being hit on the hand by a delivery from the Pakistan pacer, Litton responded immediately on the very next ball, swivelling into a pull shot over fine leg for six. It was one of several moments where he appeared to thrive against pressure rather than merely survive it.
With Pakistan keeping fielders stationed deep and repeatedly introducing bouncers, Litton still found a remarkable variety of pull shots. A telling detail from the innings is that 56 of his 126 runs (the figure in the innings described) came in the corridor between square leg and third man, showing how he kept finding scoring areas even as the bowling field tightened.
Speaking about Pakistan’s tactics, Litton explained that the bouncer can be a scoring opportunity, even if earlier dismissals had influenced the plan. “Regarding the bouncer, I think it’s a scoring opportunity for me. But unfortunately in the last two innings I got out to bouncers, and even today I think that was in the back of their minds. Since I got out to bouncers in two consecutive innings, they probably felt it was the best option. But I enjoyed the bouncer a lot,” he said.
Batting at number 6, Litton combined composure with command under pressure, finishing the day’s stint on 159 balls with 16 fours and two sixes. It was also his sixth Test century and his third against Pakistan, reinforcing that this was not a one-off rescue act but a familiar skill set when the innings needs anchoring.
Rescuing teams is not new territory for Litton either. Three of his six Test hundreds have come after Bangladesh lost four wickets with fewer than 50 runs on the board. In Sylhet, the story began with him walking in after captain Najmul Hossain Shanto had departed, leaving Bangladesh on 106 for 4. The slide continued to 116 for 6 before Litton began constructing another innings of the highest quality.
After the day’s play, he emphasised the collective work behind the recovery, while also acknowledging that the responsibility to score ultimately belongs to the batter. “The most important thing in this innings – bigger than the century – is that Taijul, Taskin and Shoriful all batted well and faced a lot of balls. Naturally they won’t score runs, the responsibility to score is mine as the batsman,” Litton said.
Whether this knock eventually gets ranked above his celebrated 138 in Rawalpindi—when Bangladesh were 20 for 4—or his 141 against Sri Lanka in Mirpur, after they had fallen to 24 for 5, remains a matter of debate. Litton himself suggested the Sylhet situation required a different mindset because of the batting options around him.
He pointed out that in some earlier innings his partnerships offered clearer mental direction. “Two things can happen. I think the innings against Sri Lanka was totally different because there was a partnership with Mushi bhai [Mushfiqur Rahim]. When your partner is a batter, the mindset stays clear. In Rawalpindi too it was the same because Miraz [Mehidy Hasan] is a batter – for a long time in that innings I had almost 80 runs, I only had to struggle for 20,” Litton said.
In contrast, he described how the batting roles shifted as the tail came to the crease. “Today’s was totally different. I think when I was on two or three, Taijul bhai came to strike. Nobody can announce and score a century. And I’m not very worried about scoring a century either. My target was how runs could come onto the board. When Taijul bhai came, our score was 110-something. So my target was how to take the team to 200. Obviously I had to fill up that target myself – my tail won’t score runs, I have to score them. So I sent a message asking whether we should go attacking or not. From upstairs they just said play for runs. So I tried to score runs.”
Litton also explained how his own position in the batting order shapes his role. “My role itself is different. Some days you’ll see the top order scoring runs and maybe I come in around the 60th or 70th over when the ball has started turning. So my cricket is such that I have to enjoy whatever particular situation comes. This is also a challenge, but there were many things to enjoy here too,” he added.
