Photo: Collected
Scores of more than fifty with the bat in both innings, along with 9 dismissals behind the stumps: combining the two in the Abu Dhabi Test, Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Liton Kumar Das has claimed a unique world record in Test cricket. He is now the first cricketer in Test history to score at least 50 runs in both innings of a match and take 9 dismissals.
Liton set the record by removing Ikram Alikhil on the fifth and final day of the match against Afghanistan on Tuesday (13 October). Ikram edged a ball from Ebadot Hossain and was caught behind the stumps. The Bangladesh wicketkeeper swiftly gathered the ball, which had moved well away from his body, in his gloves.
Until now, the record of a maximum of 8 dismissals along with at least a half-century in both innings of a Test match was held by South Africa’s Denis Lindsay. He achieved the feat against Australia in Johannesburg in 1966. Liton has now overtaken him to become the owner of the new record.
Liton also showed great skill behind the stumps in the first innings of this Test, diving to take a catch that went close to first slip, with Ebadot Hossain the bowler on that occasion too. He played an important role for the team with outstanding wicketkeeping in both innings.
Meanwhile, chasing Bangladesh’s target of 479 runs, Afghanistan had scored 132 for 3 at the end of the fourth day. So they needed another 347 runs to win on the final day, while Bangladesh needed 7 wickets.
On Tuesday, with Ikram Alikhil’s dismissal, Afghanistan’s 66-run partnership was broken by the Ebadot-Liton combination. The Afghans lost their fourth wicket with 202 runs on the board. In the second innings, Ebadot Hossain took three wickets and Hasan Mahmud one.
