Shahzad Labels Litton Das ‘Extremely Lucky’ After Second Test Century

A Day of Missed Opportunities in Sylhet

The second Test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh delivered a compelling narrative on its opening day, characterized by initial dominance from the visitors followed by a gritty recovery from the hosts. Khurram Shahzad, the standout fast bowler for Pakistan, maintained that his team remains in a strong position, despite the frustration of allowing Bangladesh’s lower order to stabilize the innings.

Shahzad, who claimed an impressive four-wicket haul, assessed the conditions at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium as vastly superior to those encountered in Dhaka. According to the pacer, the pitch provided a stable platform, leading him to believe that Bangladesh’s final total of 278 runs was significantly under par. “We bowled them out under 300, and this pitch is different to Dhaka,” Shahzad noted. “I think it will still be quite good for batting. There were cracks and uneven bounce there. Here, there is not so much and we will try to score 400-450.”

The Litton Das Factor

Pakistan’s grip on the match appeared absolute midway through the day when they reduced Bangladesh to 116 for 6. However, Litton Das once again proved to be the thorn in Pakistan’s side. Much like his heroic 138 in Rawalpindi, where he salvaged an innings from a 26-for-6 collapse, Litton orchestrated a remarkable lower-order resurgence. This time, he successfully shepherded the tail to add 162 runs for the final four wickets.

The turning point, according to Shahzad, was a moment of technical oversight. With Litton batting on 52, a sharp bouncer from Shahzad seemed to brush the batter’s glove before being gathered by Mohammad Rizwan. Pakistan appealed, but ultimately decided against using their final review. Subsequent UltraEdge analysis confirmed a spike, indicating that Litton had indeed gloved the ball. This reprieve allowed the Bangladeshi wicketkeeper-batter to accumulate an additional 74 runs.

“Extremely Lucky”

When reflecting on the incident, Shahzad did not mince his words, describing Litton as “extremely lucky.” He lamented the missed review, suggesting that the game’s trajectory would have shifted dramatically had the umpire’s original not-out decision been challenged. “We were unlucky to miss that review,” Shahzad said. “If we had got him out then, the results would have been totally different. But it is part of the game and partnerships can happen. Sometimes it happens that you let momentum go and do not get the lower order out. If Litton had got out at that stage, I think we would have bowled them out for 200.”

Defending the Tactical Approach

Addressing criticism regarding Pakistan’s perceived passivity as the innings progressed, Shahzad defended the team’s bowling strategy. He emphasized that the bowlers continued to probe with aggressive lengths and bouncers, even when the wickets stopped falling at the rapid rate seen in the morning session.

“We bowled him a few bouncers. Two chances were created off my bowling, including that catch we did not review and that chance that was dropped at square leg,” he explained. “We did attack, but when you attack, you concede runs as well. As for the field setting, that is according to the situation.”

As the match moves into its next phase, the focus will shift to how Pakistan’s top order handles the conditions that Shahzad believes are conducive to batting. With the target set at 278, the upcoming sessions are poised to determine whether Pakistan can capitalize on their bowling effort or if Bangladesh’s lower-order fightback will provide them with a competitive edge in the series.