A spectacular maiden Test century from Liton Das (113 not out) and fighting fifty by Mushfiqur Rahim (82 not out) took Bangladesh to 253/4 at the end of Day 1 of the first Test of the two-match series against Pakistan, here on Friday.
Bangladesh found themselves in trouble at 49/4 but Liton and Rahim’s unbeaten 204-run partnership resurrected the hosts and they finished the first day on top after a bleak morning session.
Earlier, opting to bat, Bangladesh got off to the worst possible start with their top four back in the pavilion inside the first 90 minutes of the game as Pakistan bowlers dominated the morning session by taking full advantage of the early moisture on offer. It began with Shaheen Afridi scalping Saif Hassan in the fifth over, with a short ball. Shadman Islam tried to keep the scoreboard running with a couple of fours but was trapped by Hasan Ali three overs later for 14.
Although captain Mominul Haque survived a couple of close calls, his luck ran out quickly with Sajid Khan getting him caught behind on 6. Immediately in the next over, Najmul Hossain Shanto departed, failing to keep the shot down and playing into the hands of the fielder at point.
The experienced pair of Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das then managed to bat out the remaining 11 overs before Lunch, taking the hosts to 69/4.
Exploiting the batting-friendly conditions deftly in the second session, Mushfiqur and Liton frustrated the Pakistan bowlers. Neither pace nor spin bothered them much as they kept the scorecard ticking, quietly racking up runs and bringing about their respective fifties.
As the partnership gained confidence, the duo consolidated Bangladesh’s position, taking them to Tea at a solid 171/4.
The duo continued the same momentum after Tea as Pakistan’s horror show continued with Liton being dropped on 67, a straightforward chance for Sajid at mid-wicket, who messed it up. Another opportunity for the visitors went begging with a Nauman Ali no-ball that had almost got Mushfiqur a few overs later.
After getting the reprieve, Liton rapidly started accumulating runs but survived yet another attempt on his way to a stunning hundred. On 99, he scampered through for a non-existent single and had to dive in as the mid-off fielder had a shy at the stumps. Luckily for Liton, the fielder just missed.
Battling cramps and surviving chances, Liton finally managed to register his maiden Test hundred in his 43rd innings, after falling five runs short in Harare in July 2021.
The visitors took the second new ball as soon as it was available but despite their best efforts, they failed to break the mammoth partnership. With the light rapidly fading, the umpires decided to call it a day with five overs still remaining.
