A superb century from wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das powered Bangladesh to declare their second innings after scoring a mammoth total of 372 for the loss of seven wickets against Afghanistan on Day 4 in the one-off Test match at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates on Monday.
Wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das has become the fifth Bangladeshi batter, who reached the milestone of 9,000 runs in international cricket.
Playing with an aggressive ODI-style approach, he reached his seventh Test century-and 57th overall-off 114 balls.
Despite being dropped twice, Litton Das played an innings of 102 runs off 117 balls, featuring 14 fours. During this innings, the right-handed batter crossed the 9,000-run mark in international cricket, combining his tallies from Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.
Apart from Litton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, and Mahmudullah Riyad, the four Bangladeshi batter had achieved this feat.
The Tigers set a huge 479-run target for Afghanistan to win the match. Bangladesh need seven wickets to win the match on the fifth and final day, while Afghanistan need 347 runs to post victory, which is an impossible task for the Rahmat Shah-led team.
Earlier, Bangladesh piled up a massive total of 346 in the first innings on the second day (Saturday).
In reply, Afghanistan scored 240 in the first innings on the third day (Sunday).
Afghanistan were tottering at 132 for the loss of three wickets before the bails were drawn for the fourth day.
Bangladesh resumed their second innings with the over-night score 223 for the loss of six wickets. Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz resumed their over-night score of five and naught respectively.
Litton Das and Miraz contributed together 149 runs on the fourth day before Litton Das was caught behind by Ikram Alikhil off Mohammad Saleem before Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto declared their second innings.
Miraz remained unbeaten with 52 runs. He hit five fours in his 97-ball innings.
Later, Ebadot Hossain dismissed opener Abdul Malik for two runs, while Hasan Mahmud picked up the wicket of one-down Shahidullah for 19 runs and Ebadot Hossain dismissed Rahmat Shah for 51 runs.
Ebadot Hossain bagged two wickets in the space of 32 runs, while Hasan Mahmud took one wicket for 31 runs.