Liton Kumar Das made Test cricket history standing in the rubble
Bangladesh against Pakistan in the ongoing second Test in Rawalpindi, which is in fear of a follow-on. Bangladesh lost 6 wickets at the beginning of the third day. However, the Tigers avoided the follow-on with the bat of Liton Das and Mehdi Hasan Miraj. These two batsmen were on the way to century after fifty. Miraj who was batting well was suddenly out. Although Mirage could not, Liton got a century.
Liton Kumar Das set a unique precedent as the first batsman in cricket history. He is the only batsman to score 3 centuries in Test cricket history after the top five batsmen were dismissed for 50 or less.
Zakir Hasan, Sadman Islam Anik, captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto, former captain Muminul Haque Sourav, former captain Mushfiqur Rahim and former captain Shakib Al Hasan returned for only 26 runs.
Liton Das became the first batsman to score three centuries after dropping the team score below 50 runs to bat outside the top five. Earlier in November 2021 he scored 114 runs against Pakistan in Chittagong, he came into bat after falling 4 wickets for 49 runs in that match.
Then in May 2022 against Sri Lanka in Mirpur after falling 5 for 24 runs, Lytton went into bat and played a career best innings of 141 runs in Tests.
Today, September 1, 2024, as the fifth batsman for only 26 runs, former captain Mushfiqur Rahim came down to bat and touched the magic figure of 171 balls and set a new world record.
Miraj scored 78 runs off 124 balls and broke the 165-run partnership between the two in the seventh wicket. By then, however, a world record had been set by Lytton-Mirage. This is the biggest seventh-wicket partnership in 147 years of Test history after the sixth wicket fell short of 50 runs. Liton scored a century on 171 balls keeping one end. This is his fourth Test century. Lytton had 138 runs to his name when he got out.
Khurram Shehzad's brilliant spell left the Tigers batting line-up in disarray. Nightwatchman Khurram Shehzad bowled the last ball of the day. Bangladesh finished with the wicket of the man who gave Bangladesh a nightmare at the start of the day. And even though they trailed by 21 runs at the end of the third day of the second Test in Rawalpindi, there is relief in the Bangladesh Tiger camp.
Despite having a lead of 21 runs, Pakistan will undoubtedly be under pressure after losing 2 wickets for 9 runs.