Litton Das made his international debut in 2015. Nine years have passed but the cricketer is yet to prove himself as a dependable batter for Bangladesh. Litton Das was even dropped from the squad at one point but the 29-year-old scripted a tremendous comeback and is now one of the most dependable batters in the Bangladesh team.
Litton Das’s role in the team as a lower-middle-order batter suits his natural game, where sometimes he ends up with the tail and has no choice but to go for his shots. But Litton Das did show he had other gears as well, batting for nearly six hours to dig Bangladesh out of a hole in Rawalpindi.
Litton Das stellar performance in a series whitewash win vs Pakistan
In the recently concluded Test series against Pakistan, Litton Das played one of the most important knocks in his career. Bangladesh were reduced to 26/6 and then, the Litton Das played a knock of 138 runs, helping the visitors score 262 runs in the first innings, 12 runs less than what Pakistan posted.
Bangladesh went on to win the match in Rawalpindi, courtesy of a brilliant show from the bowling unit in the second innings. Litton Das was adjudged Player of the Match and he now has the responsibility of taking charge against India as well. The two-match Test series will begin on September 19 and ahead of that, Litton Das acknowledged that he is now a senior cricketer and it’s time for him to take responsibility.
Bangladesh are about to embark on another away tour on the back of their remarkable 2-0 victory over Pakistan earlier this month and are already deep in preparation for it. They will be visiting India for two Tests starting next week and one of their heroes from Rawalpindi, Litton Das, has revealed that the team has been trying to get used to the way SG balls behave.
Litton Das wary of complacency and India’s SG balls ahead of 2 match test series vs India
Bangladesh middle-order batter Litton Das recently compared the SG ball with the Kookaburra ball. He believes the former will be a little harder to negotiate during the upcoming India tour than the Kookaburra deployed during the recently concluded series against Pakistan. The right-handed batter observed that the Kookaburra ball becomes comfortable to play after getting old.
Fresh from a historic series win over Pakistan, Bangladesh will next tour India for two Tests before playing three T20Is. The Tigers inevitably face a daunting challenge, given India haven’t lost a home series since 2012 and are yet to suffer a defeat to Bangladesh.
Litton Das, who played a critical role in Bangladesh’s series win over Pakistan, said as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo:
“The ball will be a different one in India. It is a little harder to play against the SG ball. The Kookaburra ball is easier to play when it gets old. It is the opposite with the SG ball. It is harder to get away against the old ball when it’s the SG.”
The 29-year-old Litton Das slammed a magnificent 138 after the tourists suffered a top-order collapse in the second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. His century enabled their side to reduce to deficit to only 12 and eventually win the game.
The India series will be challenging for us exclaims Litton Das
The keeper-batter admitted that he has to play a lot more responsibly. He pointed out that he has experience on his side and reckons it’s inspiring if people expect a player to do well. He added:
“I have to take responsibility now. It is the right time. I have been playing for ten years, so there has been some experience. I try to score off deliveries that I believe are there to hit. Scoring runs is more important these days.
“I think I bat in the same way that most batters approach the game. It is inspiring that people will know you if you do well. There’s nothing better than that. I don’t think it is pressure.”
Bangladesh are scheduled to depart for India on September 15 to play two Tests in Chennai (September 19 to 23) and Kanpur (September 27 to October 1), both part of the World Test Championship. The three T20Is that follow will be held in Gwalior (October 6), Delhi (October 9) and Hyderabad (October 12).