Liton, Miraz turn the tide on Day 3

A day that had Bangladesh staring at ignominy in the morning ended with them in the ascendency, owing to the tremendous resolve of Liton Das and Mehedi Hasan Miraz as their historic stand fueled the tourists' fightback on the third day of the second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi yesterday.

Liton scored a majestic 138 while Miraz made a valiant 78 as they added 165 runs for the seventh wicket to rescue the Tigers from a precarious 26-6 and help them put up 262 on the board, 12 runs short of Pakistan's first innings tally.

Pacer Khurram Shahzad was the standout bowler of the day, claiming a career-best 6-90, and was Bangladesh's main tormentor in the morning session with his deadly in-swingers.

Hasan Mahmud, who made an unbeaten 13 off 51 balls in a vital ninth-wicket stand with Liton worth 69 runs, snapped up two wickets in just 10 deliveries late in the day as Pakistan were reduced to 9-2 at stumps, leading by 21 runs.

A day that ended in a positive note for Bangladesh had begun in the worse way possible, with the team losing six wickets inside the first hour.

Bangladesh's southpaw-heavy batting order, with five left-handers in the top six, were seemingly at the mercy of the Pakistan quicks, especially Shahzad, who used his ability to bring the ball sharply into left-handers to dismiss four lefties: Zakir Hasan (one), Shadman Islam (10), Najmul Hossain Shanto (four) and Shakib Al Hasan (two).

Mir Hamza, the other opening bowler, also did some damage, dismissing Mominul Haque (one) and Mushfiqur Rahim (three).

The optimism emanating from Bangladesh's maiden Test win over Pakistan last week was at risk of getting replaced by the embarrassment of getting bundled out for their lowest ever total in Tests -- 43 against the West Indies.

Liton and Miraz first saved the side from that embarrassment and took the team to lunch on 75-6.

Post-lunch, Liton and Miraz, looking unperturbed by the Pakistan bowlers, gradually turned the tide as they avoided the follow-on, completed their respective fifties and brought the deficit below 100.

When the stand ended with Miraz chipping the ball back to Shahzad, they had already made history by becoming the only pair to put up a stand worth 150 runs or more after the team lost six wickets below 50.

Liton batted for almost another 25 overs, completed his fourth Test ton and ended Pakistan's hopes of a sizable lead, before getting caught off Salman Agha, who dismissed Nahid Rana (0) two balls later to end Bangladesh's innings.

The Tigers could bowl only 3.4 overs during which Hasan dismissed Abdullah Shafique (three) and night-watchman Khurram Shahzad (0), leaving the visitors happier of the two sides at the close of day's play.