Khurram rues missed chances off ‘lucky’ Litton, eyes big Pakistan total

Khurram Shahzad believes Litton Das lived a “lucky” life during his fighting innings on the opening day of the second Test, as the Pakistan pacer lamented missed opportunities that, in his view, prevented Bangladesh from collapsing for a far lower total at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Returning to the side in place of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Khurram impressed with a four-wicket haul as Bangladesh were bowled out for 278.

Pakistan had the hosts reeling at 116 for six before Litton counterattacked to drag Bangladesh to a more respectable total. However, Khurram felt the wicketkeeper-batter benefited from crucial reprieves.

“Litton Das played very luckily today,” Khurram said after the day’s play. “Not one, but two chances were created. If those had been taken, things could have been totally different. Maybe they would have been bowled out under 200.”

The right-arm pacer also pointed to missed reviews at critical moments, insisting Pakistan had opportunities to tighten their grip further.

“We were getting wickets early on. Unluckily, we missed a couple of reviews. Litton was out at that time, but it got late. If we had gotten him out there, the situation would have been completely different,” he said.

Despite the frustration, Khurram credited his side for eventually restricting Bangladesh below the 300-mark on a surface he described as much better for batting than the one used in Dhaka during the previous Test.

“This wicket is quite different from Dhaka. There were many cracks there, the bounce was uneven and it supported bowlers. Here, it seems like a lot of runs can be scored,” he explained.

With Pakistan ending the day 21 without loss, Khurram said the responsibility lies with the batters to capitalise on the favourable conditions and build a commanding lead.

“Now it is our batting turn, so we will focus on making a big total,” he said. “If we get a good partnership, we will try to score 400 or 450.”