Litton Das had plenty to celebrate in Bangladesh’s drawn Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi, but the wicketkeeper’s most challenging moment behind the stumps came during Hasan Mahmud’s historic hat-trick.
Named player of the match for his twin contributions with the bat and gloves, Litton identified the catch to dismiss Qais Ahmad, Hasan’s second victim in the hat-trick, as the toughest he took during the five-day contest.
Hasan became the first Bangladesh fast bowler to take a Test hat-trick, dismissing Ismat Alam, Qais and Ziaur Rahman in consecutive deliveries during Afghanistan’s first innings. The spell was part of his five-wicket haul, which helped Bangladesh take a 106-run lead.
“When someone bowls a short ball, you have time to react. But when someone bowls outside off, I know the ball is coming towards my right-hand side. The second one was very tough,” Litton said after the match.
Litton’s own performance was equally remarkable. He scored 53 in the first innings and followed it with 102 in the second, while recording nine dismissals behind the stumps. He became the first wicketkeeper in Test history to register nine dismissals alongside a century and a half-century in the same match.
The 31-year-old said keeping wicket through five days of extreme heat was a demanding task, making energy management and concentration crucial.
“Playing a five-day Test in this heat is really tough, both as a batsman and as a wicketkeeper. I just try to think about my energy because that is the one thing I can control. If I stay focused, something good can happen,” he said.
Litton also credited a net session before the match for helping him regain confidence with the bat. Getting off the mark in the first innings brought further relief, although he felt he had missed an opportunity to score big before making the most of his second-innings chance.
“I had one net session and felt that some confidence was coming back. When I got the first run, it gave me a little more confidence,” he said.
Despite the individual milestones, Bangladesh could not turn their advantage into victory. After declaring their second innings at 372-7 and setting Afghanistan a target of 479, the hosts needed seven wickets on the final day.
Sediqullah Atal’s 111 off 332 balls, however, helped Afghanistan reach 346-8 and secure a draw.
“Obviously, we wanted to win the match, but that’s how cricket goes. Afghanistan played really well,” Litton said.
