LAHORE   -   A remarkable century by Litton Das eclipsed Khurram Shahzad’s brilliant six-wicket haul as Bangladesh stunned Pakistan with a breathtaking comeback on the third day of the second Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, leaving the match finely poised.

Pakistan, capitalizing on the early morning moisture, reduced Bangladesh to a precarious 26 for six within the first nine overs of the day. Khurram Shahzad was the chief architect of this destruction, claiming four wickets in his fiery opening spell. However, Bangladesh’s Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz mounted a formidable resistance, adding 165 runs for the seventh wicket, lifting their team from the brink of disaster to a respectable total.

After Mehidy’s dismissal, the Bangladesh tail continued to wag, adding another 71 crucial runs. Litton Das was the star of the innings, battling through cramps to score a valiant 138 before being the ninth man out, as Bangladesh were bowled out for 262, just 12 runs shy of Pakistan’s first-innings total of 274.

When play ended for the day, Pakistan found themselves in trouble at nine for two, with Hasan Mahmud removing Abdullah Shafique and nightwatchman Khurram Shahzad. Pakistan now holds a slender lead of 21 runs with eight second-innings wickets in hand, setting up a tense fourth day.

Litton’s century, his fourth in Test cricket, came off 228 balls and included 13 boundaries and four towering sixes. His partnership with Mehidy, who followed up his five-wicket haul with a crucial 78, was the backbone of Bangladesh’s resistance. Khurram finished with impressive figures of 6 for 90, becoming the first Pakistani fast bowler to claim a six-fer in a home Test series since 2010. As the Test enters its final stages, both teams remain in the hunt, with Pakistan needing to consolidate their position and Bangladesh aiming to press for an unlikely victory.

Scores in Brief

(DAY 3 OF 5) PAKISTAN: 274 all-out in 85.1 overs (Saim Ayub 58, Shan Masood 57, Salman Ali Agha 54; Mehidy Hasan Miraz 5-61, Taskin Ahmed 3-57) and 9-2 vs BANGLADESH: 262 all-out in 78.4 overs (Litton Das 138, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 78; Khurram Shahzad 6-90, Salman Ali Agha 2-13, Mir Hamza 2-50)