Dropped twice on the fourth morning, Litton Das raced to 81 not out, took Bangladesh's lead past 400 over Afghanistan in the Abu Dhabi only Test, and crossed 9,000 international runs.
Litton Das was put down twice on the fourth morning of the only Test against Afghanistan at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday 12 October 2026, and he made them pay. Bangladesh's captain was 81 not out off 96 balls at lunch, with his side 337 for 6 and 443 ahead, according to ESPNcricinfo's match report by Mohammad Isam.
| At a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Match | Afghanistan v Bangladesh, only Test, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, 9 to 13 October 2026 |
| Day 3 state | Bangladesh 346 all out and 223 for 6 in the second innings; Afghanistan 240 all out; lead 329 at stumps |
| Day 4 at lunch | Bangladesh 337 for 6, lead 443; 114 runs added in the session at over four an over |
| Litton Das | 81 not out off 96 balls; fifty off 61 balls, after 53 in the first innings |
| Mehidy Hasan Miraz | 38 not out off 74 balls |
| Milestone | Litton passed 9,000 international runs, the fifth Bangladesh batter to do so |
| Afghanistan's bowlers | Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar 2 for 86, Yamin Ahmadzai 2 for 96 |
Two drops, one brutal response
Litton resumed on 5 not out, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz on 0, and Bangladesh's lead already at 329 after Mushfiqur Rahim (81) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (82) had done the heavy work on day three. Afghanistan had the early chance to end it. On 14, Shahidullah put down a slip catch off Mohammad Saleem. On 26, Qais put down a return catch off his own bowling.
Cricbuzz's ball-by-ball has Bangladesh's batters put down three times in the session in all. Litton did not waste either life on his side. His fifty came in 61 balls, his second in a row in the match after the 53 in the first innings, and he was 81 off 96 by the break. Mehidy stayed with him, resolute, on 38 off 74.
Afghanistan's bowlers worked hard in punishing heat and humidity, but the catching undid them. Yamin Ahmadzai, who has figures of 2 for 96 off 20 overs, struggled with cramps. The 114 runs in the session came at over four an over, which in a Test on day four is a declaration-sized rate.
9,000 international runs
Litton needed 18 more runs to reach 9,000 across formats from his overnight 5, and got there with a single off Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar in the 76th over. He is only the fifth Bangladesh batter to do it, after Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyad. He is doing it in his debut series as captain, Bangladesh's 12th Test captain according to Cricbuzz.
- Tests: 3,409 runs with six hundreds and 22 fifties.
- ODIs: 2,869 runs with five hundreds and 14 fifties.
- T20Is: 2,704 runs from 124 matches with 16 fifties.
Career splits are from tob.news.
Declaration looming
With the lead at 443 at lunch, Bangladesh may declare once Litton completes his hundred, or keep piling on. Either way, the numbers are heavily in their favour. Afghanistan were bowled out for 240 in the first innings, with Rahmat Shah unbeaten on 105, and Hasan Mahmud took 5 for 55 including a hat-trick, with Ebadot Hossain taking 4 for 56.
For Afghanistan, day four was a long, hot session in which two drops and an LBW reprieve on the same batter probably decided the Test. A dropped catch usually costs runs. Two on the same batter in one session look like costing the match.
Details are from ESPNcricinfo's match report, cross-checked with Cricbuzz and tob.news. Read the full report on Cricinfo. Cricinfo.
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