The bat went up after a single. It was an unusual celebration for a run, but for Litton Das, it meant far more than that. By the end of the fourth day in Abu Dhabi, the moment had found its meaning. The relief was real, the runs had returned, and a century had put Bangladesh within touching distance of a commanding position.
Litton’s 102 off 117 balls, decorated with 14 fours, helped Bangladesh declare at 372-7 and set Afghanistan a target of 479 in the one-off Test, extending their overall lead to 478 runs. It was his seventh Test hundred, an innings that marked a striking return to form after a difficult run.
The story began in the first innings. Yamin Ahmadzai sent down a length ball, Litton got an outside edge, and the ball raced past deep third man for a single. He lifted his bat and smiled. Just one run on the board, yet the gesture carried the weight of a much bigger achievement. After a run of disappointments, perhaps that single was the first sign that things were finally beginning to turn.
Litton scored 53 in the first innings, hinting at a return to form after a difficult spell. He had made three ducks in as many innings on Bangladesh’s historic tour of Australia and four in his five international innings before the Afghanistan Test, including one at the Asian Games.
His poor run had put him under scrutiny, especially after a heated exchange with journalists following the Asian Games.
Resuming the fourth day at 223-6, Bangladesh still needed to turn their lead into something substantial. Litton and Mehidy Hasan Miraz did exactly that, adding 149 for the seventh wicket. While Miraz played the supporting role, Litton took the attack to Afghanistan, helping Bangladesh pass 300 and push their lead to 478.
He reached his century with a square cut off Qais Ahmad, having made the most of two reprieves. He was dropped on 14 when a slip fielder failed to hold a catch off Qais, before the bowler himself put down a return catch when Litton was on 26.
Litton mixed timing with aggression in his usual style, finding the gaps with late cuts and straight drives before taking on the spinners with sweeps and charges down the track. His 117-ball hundred kept Afghanistan on the back foot and helped Bangladesh turn a healthy lead into a potentially match-winning advantage.
Before reaching his century, Litton crossed 9,000 international runs as the fifth Bangladesh batter. After scoring his 21st Test half-century in the first innings, he went on to make a hundred in the second, becoming the fifth Bangladesh batter to score fifty or more in both innings of a Test on four occasions.
His impact extended beyond the bat. Litton equalled former Bangladesh wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud Pilot’s record of seven dismissals in a Test, taking five catches in the first innings and three in the second.
He was caught behind off Mohammad Salim in the over after reaching three figures, but by then Litton had already made his statement, turning a difficult run of form into a match-defining contribution.
