Litton Das celebrates first run after string of ducks

Bangladeshi batter Litton Das raised his bat in celebration after scoring just one run against Afghanistan on Tuesday, ending a run of four consecutive ducks before going on to score a half-century.

A batter usually raises his bat after reaching a milestone, but Litton did so after opening his account. With a slight smile, he lifted his bat towards the pavilion, making for an unusual sight.

Virat Kohli did something similar last year. After being dismissed for ducks in consecutive innings, Kohli was desperate for runs. When he finally scored one against Australia in Sydney, he punched the air and smiled in visible relief.

Litton had even more reason to celebrate. He had been dismissed without scoring in his previous three innings, then suffered another duck against Sri Lanka in the Asian Games bronze-medal match. This came shortly after he had scored a century and a half-century against Pakistan.

Four consecutive ducks appeared to have put him under pressure, making that first run all the more significant.

The run itself came off Afghanistan's Yamin Ahmadzai. A good-length delivery took the edge of Litton's bat and ran towards deep third man, allowing him to take a single. He immediately raised his bat in celebration.

Litton then went on to steady Bangladesh's innings. The team were struggling at 223 for four, with the threat of an early collapse looming.

He responded with a half-century, raising his bat again after reaching the milestone. His innings helped Bangladesh cross the 300-run mark.

-EM/MT