Litton hits ton as Bangladesh dismissed for 278 in Sylhet

Litton Das waged a lone battle with a magnificent century to propel Bangladesh past the 250-mark after the top order crumbled against Pakistan's pace attack on the opening day of the Sylhet Test. 

Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 278 in 77 overs, with Litton top-scoring with a resilient 126.

As expected from the Sylhet track, the seamers found significant movement early on. Pakistan's pace duo, Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas, exploited the conditions to leave the Bangladeshi batters struggling with the new ball. 

The hosts suffered an immediate setback when opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy was dismissed for a duck on the second ball of the innings, caught in the slips off Abbas.

Following the early blow, Zakir Hasan and debutant Tanzid Hasan Tamim attempted to rebuild. However, Tanzid departed for 26 after a 44-run stand. The middle order failed to capitalize as Muminul Haque was cleaned up by a superb Khurram Shahzad delivery, leaving the hosts at 63 for 3. 

Despite getting starts, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (29) and Mushfiqur Rahim (23) could not convert them into big scores.

When Mehidy Hasan Miraz fell for just 4, Bangladesh was reeling at 116 for 6. Standing amidst the ruins, Litton Das took charge of the innings. He found brief support from Taijul Islam, who scored 16 off 40 balls, allowing Litton to rotate the strike. Taskin Ahmed also fell cheaply, leaving Litton to accelerate with the tail.

Litton reached his sixth Test century in style, taking 135 balls to hit the milestone. His masterful 126-run knock remained the cornerstone of the Bangladesh innings before he was finally dismissed. 

For Pakistan, Khurram Shahzad was the pick of the bowlers, consistently troubling the batters with pace and accuracy.