2024-09-03 06:15:29
Records are meant to be broken. New chapters are always added to the pages of history. Test cricket is 147 years old. Bangladesh is playing Test number 2547 in Rawalpindi. Ayut-Niyut’s feats during this long period are written in the indelible ink of history. But what Liton and Miraz did at 22 yards in Rawalpindi had never been done before, anywhere.
Losing 6 wickets for 26 runs, the morning of the third day of the Pindi Test is a nightmare for Bangladesh. The visiting batsmen were not finding the ground under their feet. However, seven mornings, losing Bangladesh finished the innings and picked up 262 runs! The two left-handed batsmen gave a unique, extraordinary day by standing in the rubble and giving hope in every attack. A dreamy day after a nightmare. The last one is more colorful.
Mirage-Litton scored 165 runs in the seventh wicket partnership. No team has ever scored more than 150 runs in a seventh wicket pair with the loss of 6 wickets for 30 runs or less. There, Mirage and Liton presented a pair of sparkling solids. What was written as a world record in the pages of history. The intense bravery and heroic innings played by the two, defying the imagination of the Pakistani bowlers, will remain in the memory for a long time. Only one regret of a world record and colorful day.
Mirage’s century miss! Lytton stood on 82 when Mirage made his way to the dressing room on 78 runs. He could not run properly due to leg cramps twice. There was inertia in the batting. But Lytton took the fourth Test century of his career after spending a long time of 22 yards. When he returned to the dressing room in the last hour in the late afternoon, 138 runs were shining next to his name. Second highest score of career.
Bangladesh were trailing by 12 runs when Lytton got out as the ninth batsman. Hasan and Rana could not reduce that run. Although Pakistan took a 12-run lead, no one would disagree if Bangladesh practically ‘led’ the first innings battle. It should be noted that the hosts lost 2 wickets in the late afternoon and are on the backfoot. The lead is only 21 runs.
Bangladesh’s performances have always lacked consistency in Test cricket. The discipline that the batsmen performed in the last match took a U-turn today. Credit must be given to Pakistani bowlers. But the responsibility of the batsmen is not less. Left-handed batsmen have given away wickets while playing the ball above the leg stump. First Zakir, then Sadman. Shanto also followed the two openers. Khurram Shahzad dismissed the opening three left-handers with almost identical deliveries. Muminul is also a traveler of the same path. Khurram was caught by Loppa by left-arm pacer Mir Hamzar. Mushfiqur Rahim, the hero of the previous match, made his way to the dressing room with the best ball of the day. Hamzar caught the ball behind the wicket.
Shakib, who is out of batting form, is still behind. Khurram’s fourth victim was an inside delivery. 26 runs, 6 batsmen in the dressing room. The last time such a situation happened was in Durban in 2022. Bangladesh lost 6 wickets for 26 runs in Seva’s 53 runs all out in the innings. However, this time the innings was not a disaster as usual. This time Mirage and Liton made the day colorful by taking the responsibility of pulling the team.
At first Lytton was a little hesitant. Go on the attack against Mirage. Lytton also joined the attack after settling down. As the edge of the ball decreases, the light of the two bats increases. Then they could not be stopped. The two got fifty at the lunch break. Later, batting in the same sequence, both teams advanced the runs. This pair broke before the team’s run reached two hundred. Khurram’s length ball drives the return catch. It broke the record breaking pair. Bangladesh went into a good position when they returned to Sajghar with an innings of 78 runs off 124 balls with 12 fours and 1 six.
Then just waiting for Lytton’s century. Taskin could not accompany him, but Hasan was biting the ground. Facing 51 balls, Lytton not only gave him a century, but also added important 13 runs. That brought the first innings capital very close.
The wickets of Abdullah Shafiq and Khurram Shahzad went to his bowling after batting. It makes the end of a dreamy day more colorful. The story of the beginning of the day and the story of the end are not the same. After Pakistan’s devastating morning, Bangladesh ended the day with high hopes as Liton and Mirage painted a picture of a beautiful day with every attack. Bangladesh did not let the match go to Pakistan and it is now a big achievement.