Bangladesh took control in Sylhet with an uncompromising second-innings display, putting Pakistan under immediate pressure after Mushfiqur Rahim produced a standout 14th Test hundred. By the close of Day 3, the visitors had set Pakistan a massive 437 to chase to level the series, with Bangladesh finishing on 390 in their second innings for a commanding overall advantage of 436. Mushfiqur’s 137 anchored the chase-proof platform, while Litton Das added crucial stability in a spell where the ball still offered assistance.
Key takeaways
- Mushfiqur Rahim struck his 14th Test century in the second innings, scoring 137 as Bangladesh built a huge lead.
- Pakistan ended Day 3 facing a daunting target of 437 to draw level in the series.
- Bangladesh reached 390 in the second innings, giving them an overall lead of 436.
- Litton Das made 69 off 92 balls, including a key fifth-wicket partnership of 123 with Mushfiqur.
- Pakistan’s Khurram Shahzad removed Mehidy Hasan Miraz (19) later in the innings, while Sajid Khan took wickets as the innings wound down.
- Taijul Islam contributed 22 off 51 balls and helped add 77 for the seventh wicket with Mushfiqur.
Mushfiqur’s masterclass under pressure
Pakistan got off to a promising start in the second innings, as Khurram Shahzad troubled Najmul Hossain Shano and eventually pinned him LBW for 15. With the hosts at 115 for 4, Bangladesh’s most important decision was how they would navigate the early movement and maintain control rather than force the pace.
Mushfiqur Rahim responded with discipline. He kept the ball close, avoided loose deliveries, and declined to chase every scoring chance. Gradually, the innings opened up—cover drives started finding gaps, square-cuts snapped the field in two, and at intervals he used strength through the line with sweeping and driving shots that punished fuller bowling. He faced 233 balls, struck 12 fours and one six, and stayed at the crease until the 103rd over.
When Mushfiqur finally fell, he was Bangladesh’s last wicket. By then, Bangladesh’s second-innings total had climbed to 390, translating into the overall lead of 436. His 137 was his third Test century in a second innings, and it arrived with maximum impact—shaping the match into a near impossible task for Pakistan from that point onward.
Litton Das’s timely support and the turning point
While Mushfiqur provided the long-form steadiness, Litton Das supplied the fluent momentum that kept Bangladesh moving forward through testing periods. Fresh off a first-innings century, Litton looked comfortable even as the ball behaved unpredictably, with movement and seam creating challenges at times.
Litton’s third-day half-century extended a remarkable pattern: he has now produced a century and a fifty in the same Test on three separate occasions, a Bangladesh wicketkeeper record that goes beyond Mushfiqur. There was also a moment of fortune in Pakistan’s favour that didn’t become a breakthrough—Babar Azam failed to hit the stumps directly at short midwicket when Litton was stranded halfway, a miss that could have changed the tempo of the innings.
Litton made 69 from 92 balls before an upper-cut off Hasan Ali found Saud Shakeel at fly-slip. That dismissal marked the end of a partnership that had effectively swung the contest beyond Pakistan’s reach. The two batters added 123 runs for the fifth wicket, a stand that buried Pakistan’s hopes of coming back into the game.
Wickets, cameos and the finishing burst
Khurram Shahzad returned to sharpen the finish, cleaning bowled Mehidy Hasan Miraz for 19 with a ball that jagged back sharply. As the innings entered its final phase, Sajid Khan—who endured a tough passage that included a dropped chance off his own bowling when Litton was on 56—still managed to claim wickets as Bangladesh pushed towards the 390 total.
Taijul Islam offered valuable lower-order resistance, scoring 22 off 51 balls. Together, Taijul and Mushfiqur added 77 for the seventh wicket, with Taijul striking two well-timed boundaries to keep Pakistan’s bowlers working hard for every run.
The day also produced a vivid cameo for Bangladesh: Mushfiqur sent down a pull shot—one foot off the ground—straight to the fence off Shahzad. It arrived immediately after an intense exchange between Mushfiqur and Pakistan captain Shan Masood, another reminder that Bangladesh were winning the moments as much as the scoreboard.
With Bangladesh setting 437, Pakistan now face the near-impossible. Although conditions were not described as severe, Pakistan will need something close to historic against an inspired Bangladesh bowling group to overhaul the target and keep the series alive.
Brief scores
Pakistan 232 & 0/0 trail Bangladesh 278 & 390 (Mushfiqur Rahim 137, Litton Das 69; Khurram Shahzad 4-86) by 437 runs.
