Test Cricket

Some Relief For Bangladesh As Mushfiqur Rahim & Litton Das Have Scored Unbeaten Fifties After An Early Batting Collapse

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Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das hit unbeaten fifties to help Bangladesh recover from a top- order collapse in the alternate Test against Sri Lanka in Dhaka on Monday.

Liton remained unbeaten on 72 with Mushfiqur 62 not-out as Bangladesh reached 153-5 by tea on the first day after taking to club at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

The brace added 129 in their unbroken stage after Sri Lanka’s pace bowlers Kasun Rajitha and Asitha Fernando shared five structures between them to reduce Bangladesh to 24-5 in a chaotic first hour of play.

Cover fielder Kamindu Mendis dropped Liton on 47 off Fernando at backward square leg before the right-hander brought up his 13th Test fifty with a boundary in the same over.

Mushfiqur, who scored 105 runs in the first Test, played a controlled innings before a important cover drive off left-arm incitement Praveen Jayawickrama brought his fifty, his 26th in Tests.

The hosts made a agony start to the game as Rajitha sailed nature Mahmudul Hasan for a duck with the alternate ball of the morning.

Fellow nature Tamim Iqbal, who scored a century in the drawn first Test in Chittagong, also fell for a duck as he transferred a commanding edge off Fernando in the coming over to be caught brilliantly by Jayawickrama at backward point.

Skipper Mominul Haque tried to settle the jitters with two fours, including one off the first ball he faced, but soon edged Fernando to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella when on nine.

Rajitha also plant a big gap between the club and pad of Najmul Hossain, transferring his middle- garbage wagon- wheeling with an inswinger as the left-hander was dismissed for eight.

Rajitha delivered a body blow coming ball to trap Shakib Al Hasan leg-ahead for a first-ball duck, leaving the Bangladesh fur line-up in tatters at 24-5.

Liton and Mushfiqur hit 10 boundaries each so far to lead Bangladesh’s recovery.

Sri Lanka had awarded Rajitha with a place in the eleven after he impressed in Chittagong by taking 4-60 playing the match as a concussion cover for Vishwa Fernando.

He was one of their two changes, with Jayawickrama replacing Lasith Embuldeniya.

Bangladesh made two changes from the first Test as Mosaddek Hossain and Ebadot Hossain replaced the injured Nayeem Hasan and Shoriful Islam.

Bangladesh were in control against Sri Lanka as the hosts reached 318-3 at sums on the third day of their first Test at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Tuesday (May 17).

Both Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das remained unbeaten on 53 and 54 singly after having progressed the day on 76-0 in reply to Sri Lanka’s first-innings score of 397.

The hosts, still, are still running by 79 runs.

The major blow for Bangladesh on the day has been Tamim Iqbal’s forced departure following the end of the alternate session.

The southpaw, on 133 off 217 balls, could not continue fur after tea after suffering a cramp.

Tamim, who scored a fluent century, his 10th Test ton, was retired hurt while being just 19 runs shy of getting the first Bangladeshi to reach the- run corner.

Mushfiq, meanwhile, seems likely to be beating Tamim to the punch as he now remains only 15 runs short of the feat.

After Tamim was forced off the field due to the injury, Mushfiq stitched a commanding 98- run stage with Liton in the middle to ensure Bangladesh’s dominance in the game.

Mushfiq, who had a numerous close going his way, scored his 26th Test fifty off 124 deliveries during a knock that has so far seen two boundaries.

Liton was more aggressive among the two, continuing his tremendous form in the format as he brought up his 12th Test fifty off 97 deliveries by pulling Lasith Embuldeniya through midwicket for a boundary.

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