Litton backs spinners to seal Bangladesh victory on Day 5

Wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das is counting on Bangladesh’s spinners to make an impact on the final day as the Tigers push for victory in their one-off Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi.

After benefiting from reprieves on 14 and 26, Litton struck a fluent 102 off 117 balls, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz remained unbeaten on 52, as Bangladesh declared their second innings at 372 for seven on Monday, setting Afghanistan a daunting target of 479.

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Afghanistan lost Abdul Malik (2) and Shahidullah Kamal (19) early in their chase, slipping to 28 for two. First-innings centurion Rahmat Shah and Sediqullah Atal then steadied the innings with an 82-run partnership off 214 balls for the third wicket.

Rahmat eventually fell to Ebadot Hossain for 51, but Atal (35 not out) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (19 not out) saw out the rest of the day to take Afghanistan to 132 for three at stumps.

Bangladesh’s pacers claimed all three wickets on the fourth day, with Ebadot taking two and Hasan Mahmud the other. The spinners, meanwhile, struggled to make an impact, going wicketless despite bowling a combined 28 overs.

Litton, however, remains hopeful that the fifth-day surface will offer the slow bowlers more assistance.

“The wicket is not very spin-friendly, but going into day five, the ball often starts to turn from the rough patches. I hope our spinners will bowl in good areas... they are already bowling in good areas, they will apply pressure by bowling in even better areas, and if they get a little help from the wicket, the job will be easier for them,” Litton said after the fourth day’s play.

Mehidy, Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan will need to deliver if Bangladesh are to turn that hope into victory. The trio claimed just one wicket when the Tigers bowled Afghanistan out for 240 in the first innings, with Mehidy dismissing left-hander Shahidi. They have yet to make a breakthrough in the fourth innings.

Fast bowlers have dominated on the Abu Dhabi surface, accounting for 25 of the 30 wickets to fall in the match. Among Afghanistan’s spinners, leg-spinner Qais Ahmed was the only one to take a wicket in Bangladesh’s first innings, finishing with 1-60, while left-arm spinner Zia-ur-Rehman went wicketless. Qais claimed another wicket in the second innings, while Zia took two.

Litton was also pleased with his performance with both bat and gloves. After recording three consecutive ducks on Bangladesh’s recent tour of Australia, he scored 53 in the first innings before registering his seventh Test century in the second.

He has also recorded eight dismissals behind the stumps in this match, the most by a Bangladesh wicketkeeper in a Test, surpassing Khaled Mashud’s previous record of seven against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2004.

Litton reiterated his fondness for the longest format, pointing to the challenges and changing situations that unfold over five days.

“No, I like all three formats, but the prestige of Test cricket is slightly higher. Because a lot happens in this match, there are many challenges from day one to day five, and there are plenty of situations to enjoy. So I like Test cricket,” he said.

He added that wicketkeeping also helps him read the conditions and informs his batting.

“Yes, it definitely helps. Because from behind the wicket, I can understand a lot of things and get a good idea about the wicket. That helps my batting a lot,” he added.