Litton, Mehidy lift Bangladesh to 262

RAWALPINDI: Khurram Shahzad took six wickets and Litton Das scored 138 as Pakistan took a slender 12 runs first innings lead against Bangladesh on the third day of the second World Test Championship match at the Pindi Stadium here on Sunday.

Bangladesh were bowled out for 262 in response to Pakistan’s first innings total of 274. When play ended on the third day, Pakistan were 9 for 2 in the second innings having raised their lead to 21 with eight wickets in hand. Abdullah Shafique (3) yet again lost his wicket cheaply, this time to Hasan Mahmud, edging it to the wicketkeeper. Hasan also had night watchman Khurram (0) who was fully exposed by Saim Ayub (4 not out).

Earlier, Pakistan threw away the initiative after putting Bangladesh on the mat at 26 for 6 with Khurram Shahzad ripping apart the top order with an initial spell of 4 for 7. Mir Hamza (2-50) who removed Mushfiqur Rahim (3) with a peach of a delivery also got two wickets to send jitters in Bangladesh camp. “With the new ball, the seamers get help. We fully utilised the opportunity and put Bangladesh on the back foot. We should have finished the innings but Bangladesh fought well through Das and Mehidy,” Khurram said.

Khurram became the first Pakistan pace bowler to have taken a six-wicket haul since Umar Gul’s six for 135 in the 2009 Test match against Sri Lanka at Lahore. Once Mehidy Hasan Miraz joined Litton Das, things changed altogether. Mehidy took the attack back to the bowlers with some sizzling drives.

Dropped at 90 by Abrar Ahmad on his own bowling, Litton Das cut the same bowler to the third man, minutes later to reach his fourth Test hundred with the help of 11 fours and two sixes. His century came off 171 balls and lifted Bangladesh to a competitive first innings total.

Litton Das smashed four sixes, two after reaching his hundred, and 13 boundaries during his 228-ball stay at the wicket. Salman Ali Agha (2-13) picked him and in the same over had Nahid Rana plump in front of the wicket to put curtains on the Bangladesh innings. Hasan remained 13 not out.

Mehidy (78) and Litton put on 165 runs for the seventh wicket in 199 minutes to stage a resounding recovery. Mehidy’s innings were more an exhibition of taking the fight back to the bowlers as he hardly spared anyone during his 124-ball knock punctuated with 12 boundaries and a six.

Once he was removed by Khurram for his maiden five-wicket haul, the visitors’ tail opened up. Taskin Ahmad (1) followed in the same over, trapped LBW. Bangladesh were eight down for 193, still, 83 runs adrift with two wickets in hand. Yet for the last two wickets, visitors added 69 runs that dampened Pakistan bowlers’ enthusiasm further. The much-talked-about Abrar Ahmad (0-83) was highly unimpressive with the ball as he failed to make an impact on a track that offered Mehidy and Shakib full assistance.

“I am really excited to raise a hundred from a position where we required to put up a big stand. Mehidy supported me fully and we took the fight back to Pakistan and succeeded in taking the score closer to the host team’s first innings total,” Litton Das said.

The early hour of the game on day three belonged to Pakistan with Zakir Hasan (1) first to go offering a soft catch to the short-mid wicket where Abrar was ready for an early breakthrough. Shadman Islam (10) was bowled around his leg by Khurram Shahzad as he picked his second wicket of the morning. The right-arm pacer then had his third with a ripper of a delivery that saw Bangladesh captain Najamul Hossain Shanto (4) bowled all-ends up.

Mir Hamza then stepped in to remove Mominul Haq (1) who scooped one to mid-on where Mohammad Ali accepted the catch. A ripper of a delivery from Mir Hamza which lifted and took an edge of Mushfiqur Rahim’s bat left Bangladesh in all sorts of trouble at 26 for 5. Khurram Shahzad then brought one back to remove Shakib Al Hasan (2) leaving Bangladesh in a hopeless position.