Litton's Century Pushes Bangladesh on Cusp of Victory in BAN vs AFG 1st Test Day 4

ABU DHABI: Bangladesh positioned themselves on the cusp of a commanding victory following an intensely contested BAN vs AFG 1st Test Day 4 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. Spearheaded by Litton's Century, the visitors completely dominated the first half of the day before their bowling attack left Afghanistan reeling. 

At the close of play, Afghanistan fought back with grit to reach 132 for 3, still requiring a monumental 347 runs on the final day to alter the course of this solitary BAN vs AFG 1st Test.

Day 4 morning began with Bangladesh seeking to pile further misery onto the hosts, capitalizing on their overnight Bangladesh Day 3 score of 223 for 6. Resuming their second innings with a lead of 347, wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das (102) and all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz (52) weaponized the first session. 

Facing a heavily fatigued Afghan bowling lineup in hot weather, the duo effectively batted the hosts out of the match. They engineered a chanceless, wicketless morning session that yielded 114 runs in 26 overs, advancing the score to 337 for 6 by lunch.

Bating with a delightful blend of classical defense and calculated aggression, Litton raced past his milestones to bring up his seventh Test hundred. He reached the magnificent milestone off just 115 deliveries, expertly guiding a ball through point to celebrate. 

Immediately after achieving a century, he top-edged a sharp bouncer from Mohammad Saleem Safi to the wicketkeeper. The dismissal acted as the immediate cue for skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto to declare the second innings at 372 for 7, leaving Mehidy Hasan Miraz stranded on an unbeaten 52. This set Afghanistan an improbable fourth-innings target of 479 runs.

Chasing a world-record target, Afghanistan's top order crumbled rapidly against a hostile second-innings bowling burst. The host nation was dealt two early blows before the tea break, sinking them to 51 for 2. Speedster Ebadot Hossain drew first blood, dismissing Abdul Malik for 2, while Day 3 hat-trick hero Hasan Mahmud cleanly removed Shahidullah Kamal for 19.

Faced with a swift capitulation, first-innings centurion Rahmat Shah launched a defensive counter-offensive alongside opening batsman Sediqullah Atal. The pair constructed a patient 1.5-hour partnership that momentarily frustrated the Bangladeshi attack. Rahmat played with assurance, registering a solid 51 off 124 deliveries before Ebadot Hossain broke the vital stand, inducing an edge to leave Afghanistan three down.

As twilight descended upon Abu Dhabi, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi combined forces with the rock-solid Atal. Sediqullah Atal exhibited phenomenal Test discipline, carrying his bat to stumps with an unbeaten 35 off 126 balls, while Shahidi remained solid on 19. 

Bangladesh will comfortably walk out on Day 5 requiring only seven wickets to seal an emphatic win.