Rawalpindi (Pakistan): Century-maker Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz led a Bangladesh fightback in the second Test, overshadowing Pakistan fast bowler Khurram Shahzad’s maiden five-wicket haul here on Sunday.
Litton laced his attacking 138 with 13 fours and two sixes while Mehidy made an equally impressive 78 that propelled Bangladesh to 262 after Shahzad’s early burst had left the tourists reeling at 26-6 inside the first hour on Day 3.
Pakistan, which lost the first Test by 10 wickets last week, lost opener Abdullah Shafique and nightwatchman Shahzad to fast bowler Hasan Mahmood and limped to 9-2 at stumps for an overall lead of 21 runs.
“I was a little bit nervous when I came out to bat before the first drinks interval,” said Litton, who struck his fourth test hundred and second against Pakistan. “I took it positive way and took responsibility with Miraz when they had a good momentum.”
Shafique had a below-par series by scoring only 42 runs in four innings before he edged Mahmud and the fast bowler capped the perfect day for Bangladesh by knocking back the stumps of Shahzad in the last over of the day.
“We have to take responsibility as bowling and fielding side,” Litton said. “If we bowl in right areas they will struggle. This wicket is not easy to bat on, and we have good spinners and pacers.”
Shahzad snared 6-90 but both Litton and Mehidy counterattacked the right-arm seamer after lunch with an enterprising 165-run partnership while keeping sole specialist spinner Abrar Ahmed at bay (0-83) as Pakistan’s third seamer Mohammad Ali left the field due to dehydration.
“I enjoy batting with Mehidy, he’s always positive and we talked how to score in that situation,” Litton said.
Shahzad added two more to his four-wicket burst in the morning session when Mehidy, who hit 12 fours and a six, offered a tame return catch to the right-arm fast bowler and Taskin Ahmed was pinned down leg before wicket.
Litton raised his century soon after tea when he cut Ahmed to the third-man boundary and further frustrated Pakistan by raising 69 runs with No. 10 Mahmud, who made 13.
Pakistan was scratchy in the field as Ahmed couldn’t hold onto a tough one-handed return catch when Litton was on 90 and then skipper Shan Masood dropped a low catch off Mahmud at short cover.
All-rounder Salman Ali Agha, who bowled 41 overs in the first test after Pakistan left out Abrar but bowled just 3.4 overs this time around, finally ended Pakistan’s misery in the field when Litton was caught at long-on after staying at the wicket for 5.5 hours.
Earlier, the Bangladesh top order stumbled against Shahzad and Mir Hamza’s (2-50) impeccable seam and swing and slumped to 26-6 inside 34 balls after they resumed Sunday at 10-0.
Shahzad started Bangladesh’s slide when Zakir Islam (10), the only top-order batter to reach double figures, softly flicked the right-arm seamer to mid-wicket. Shahzad then clean bowled left-hander Shadman Islam round his legs and then induced a sharp inswinger to strike the stumps of captain Najmul Hossain Shanto inside one over.
Left-armer Hamza kept up the pressure from other end and induced a leading edge from Mominul Haque before first test century-maker Mushfiqur Rahim fell to an outswinger and edged behind the wicket.
Shahzad capped the best session of the series for Pakistan when he had Shakib Al Hasan leg before wicket before Litton and Mehidy dominated the pace and spin by raising a superb century partnership and led Bangladesh’s comeback.
“Such phases do come in test matches,” Shahzad said, who shared the new ball with Hamza after Pakistan rested its frontline pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah for the second test.
“We had one good session, but when the ball didn’t swing (after lunch), they put up a good partnership and we struggled.”
Pakistan had capitalized on four dropped catches to score 274 on Day 2 after the first day was washed out due to persistent rain in Rawalpindi.
