Bangladesh breathe easy at Tea

Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das have been able to see out the entire second session unharmed as Bangladesh are on course to forget the nightmare that occurred against Sri Lanka during the opening session of the second and final Test in Dhaka today.

Pacers Kasun Rajitha and Asitha Fernando were on fire from the onset as the Tigers' top-order was dismantled in no time. The openers -- Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Tamim Iqbal – and Shakib Al Hasan- all fell for naughts while Najmul Hossain Shanto and captain Mominul Haque failed to reach double figures as the Tigers and their fans found themselves shivering in the monsoon heat, at 24 for five after just seven overs, and that too after having elected to bat first.

However, Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das, the two in-form batters, who stitched a 164-run stand in the last Test in Chattogram, did not surrender to the overwhelming pressure exerted by the island nation. Mixing ample caution with appropriate aggression, the two batters saw out the morning session unscathed and also stamped their authority in the second session as Bangladesh head to Tea on 153 for five after 53 overs of play.

The duo had hit 10 boundaries apiece but more importantly, have faced over 270 deliveries during their 129-run stand. Both batters would now look to convert their fifties into big scores.