Litton Das's 126 holds Bangladesh together on day one as Sylhet sweep stays in play
Litton Das walked in at 106 for 4 and stayed out there for 159 balls, and that single innings is the reason Bangladesh closed day one of the second Test at Sylhet on 278 for 9 instead of a number Pakistan would have happily packed up and gone home with.
Mohammad Abbas had Mahmudul Hasan Joy caught for a duck in the very first over, Mohammad Abbas picked up Tanzid Hasan Tamim for 24, and by the time Abbas trapped Najmul Hossain Shanto for 29 and Khurram cleaned up Mushfiqur Rahim for 29, Pakistan had Bangladesh four down with the second new ball still a long way off. Mominul Haque added 22 before he too went. The pitch was doing enough for the seamers to keep the slip cordon interested, and at 106 for 4 the talk of a 2-0 series whitewash looked a lot quieter than it had at lunch.
126 in tricky conditions, 16 fours, two sixes
Das played the kind of innings that ends up at the top of the highlights package. He came at the slower bowlers when he had to and refused to chase anything outside off when he did not. The hundred was the product of measured cricket, not blitz cricket, and his eventual 126 off 159 carried a strike rate close to 80 only because he opened up properly once the tail arrived. The 16 boundaries and two sixes told the story of a batter who picked his moments rather than swung at them.
The most important partnership of the day was the one nobody expected. Taijul Islam, more often picked for his left-arm spin, hung around for 16 off 40 balls and added 60 with Das for the seventh wicket before Sajid Khan finally got him. By then Das had already done most of the rebuilding, and the lower order rode out the last hour to take Bangladesh to 278 for 9 by the close of the 76.3rd over.
Khurram's three and the Pakistan plan that nearly worked
Khurram finished the day with three wickets and Abbas with three, with Hasan Ali eventually pinning Das and Sajid getting Taijul. The numbers flatter Bangladesh's total a little. Pakistan bowled to a plan, kept the runs slow for long stretches and looked one wicket away from rolling the hosts for under 200 at multiple points. They will go back to the dressing room knowing they were one half-chance from a much better day, and that Das is the only reason this is not a one-sided opening day at Sylhet.
Bangladesh arrived in Sylhet 1-0 up after Nahid Rana's five-for sealed a 104-run win in Dhaka, the country's first home Test victory over Pakistan in Test cricket. A draw here is enough to make this the first home Test series win over Pakistan too. With one wicket left and a Babar Azam-shaped Pakistan top order still to come, Bangladesh's first innings is not yet shut, and day two starts with Litton Das's 126 already framing the rest of the match.
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