Berliner Volks-Zeitung - Litton's rearguard ton propels Bangladesh to 278 in Pakistan Test

Pakistan reached 21-0 at stumps in reply with Azan Awais on 13 and Abdullah Fazal on 8 in Sylhet.

Batting at number six, Litton struck 16 fours and two sixes in his 159-ball 126, his sixth Test century, after Bangladesh had been reduced to 116-6 after lunch.

Pakistan, trailing 1-0 in the two-match series after a 104-run defeat in Mirpur, opted to bowl and the decision immediately paid off.

Opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy fell for a duck, edging Mohammad Abbas to second slip off the second ball of the match.

Debutant Tanzid Hasan made a bright start, striking three boundaries in a fluent 26 off 34 balls, but threw his wicket away attempting an ambitious pull shot off Abbas, who took the catch off his own bowling.

Mominul Haque was bowled for 22 by Khurram Shahzad.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim steadied the ship with a 43-run stand.

But both fell after lunch as Bangladesh lost three wickets for 15 runs.

Shanto edged Abbas behind for 29, Mushfiqur departed lbw for 23 and Mehidy Hasan Miraz was caught at deep fine leg for four to leave the hosts 116-6.

Litton added 60 runs with Taijul Islam (16) off 114 balls for the seventh wicket and brought up his fifty off 93 balls.

He took just 42 balls more to reach three figures with a cover drive off Shahzad, and then hit the next ball for six.

He added 38 with Taskin Ahmed and a crucial 64 with Shoriful Islam off 73 balls for the ninth wicket.

"The most important thing in this innings is that Taijul, Taskin and Shoriful all batted well and faced a lot of balls," Litton said.

Pakistan missed two review opportunities when replays showing faint edges off Mushfiqur and Litton that went unchallenged by captain Shan Masood.

"We were getting wickets early on. Unluckily, we missed a couple of reviews," said Shahzad.

"If we had gotten them out there, the situation would have been completely different."

J.Schwarz--BVZ