Litton Das narrowly missed a rare feat after falling for a fluent 69 in Bangladesh's second innings on Day 3 of the second Test against Pakistan in Sylhet on Monday.
Having scored a magnificent 126 in the first innings under severe pressure, Liton once again produced an elegant knock to put Bangladesh firmly in control of the match before being dismissed while attempting an attacking stroke against Hasan Ali.
The stylish right-hander looked set for his second century of the match and was batting with authority after overcoming the early challenge posed by Pakistan's bowlers. But his attempt to clear deep third man ended his innings at 69, denying him a place among a selective group of Bangladeshi batters to score centuries in both innings of a Test.
Only Mominul Haque and Najmul Hossain Shanto have achieved that feat for Bangladesh.
Despite missing out on the landmark, Litton still entered another exclusive chapter in Bangladesh cricket. The Sylhet Test marked the third occasion on which he scored both a century and a fifty in the same Test match as a wicketkeeper-batter, a record unmatched by any other Bangladeshi cricketer.
He first achieved the feat against Pakistan in Chattogram in 2021, when he made 114 and 59, before repeating it against Sri Lanka in Mirpur in 2022 with scores of 141 and 52.
Litton came to the crease in difficult circumstances once again. Bangladesh were 115-4 in the second innings when he joined Mushfiqur Rahim in the middle. The pair added 123 runs for the fifth wicket, taking the hosts into a commanding position and stretching Pakistan further out of the contest.
Earlier in the match, Litton had rescued Bangladesh from 116-6 with a superb 126 in the first innings, an effort widely regarded as one of the finest rescue acts in the country's Test history. �"BSS
