Bangladesh may have made history by winning a Test in Australia after 23 years, but Litton Das will remember the tour for very different reasons. The wicketkeeper-batter endured a miserable run with the bat, registering three ducks across three innings and falling to Mitchell Starc on each occasion.
Bangladesh began the two-Test series on a high note in Darwin, securing a remarkable nine-wicket victory over the hosts. The result marked a significant achievement for a side returning to Australia for Test cricket after a long absence. However, the momentum did not carry into the final match.
The second and final Test ended inside two days, with Australia winning by an innings and 51 runs. Bangladesh struggled to withstand the hosts’ pace attack and were unable to reproduce the discipline and resilience that had produced their historic victory in the opening Test.
Despite the disappointing finish, the tour was not without its positives for Bangladesh. The victory in the first Test alone ensured that the side would return home having achieved something of lasting significance. For Litton, however, the personal outcome was far less encouraging.
His involvement in the tour had itself been uncertain because of injury. Litton initially missed out on selection for the first Test after suffering a calf-muscle injury. His recovery progressed sufficiently quickly during rehabilitation for him to return to the squad, allowing the experienced wicketkeeper-batter to take part in the series.
His comeback had raised expectations within the Bangladesh camp. Litton has established himself as one of the country’s most important batters in Test cricket and has often been relied upon when the team has found itself under pressure. His ability to play long innings and stabilise a fragile batting order has made him a key figure in Bangladesh’s red-ball plans.
This time, though, he could not provide the contribution expected of him.
Across three innings in the two-Test series, Litton scored zero on every occasion. His sequence read 0, 0 and 0. Even more strikingly, all three dismissals came at the hands of the same bowler: Australia’s left-arm pace spearhead Mitchell Starc.
The repeated dismissals made an already disappointing series particularly difficult for Litton. A batter returning from injury would have hoped to regain rhythm and confidence in challenging overseas conditions, but instead he found himself unable to get off the mark in any of his three opportunities.
Starc’s pace, movement and ability to attack the stumps and edges made him a constant threat throughout the series. For Litton, the Australian quick proved impossible to overcome, ending each of his three innings before he could contribute to the scoreboard.
The contrast between Bangladesh’s historic opening victory and their heavy defeat in the final Test also underlined the demanding nature of Test cricket in Australia. Conditions can expose weaknesses quickly, particularly against a high-quality pace attack, and Bangladesh’s batting struggled badly in the second match.
For Litton, the tour will therefore be remembered as a missed opportunity. He overcame an injury setback to make himself available, returned to a team that expected experience and stability from him, but finished the series without scoring a single run.
Three innings, three ducks and three dismissals by Starc made it a particularly painful chapter in Litton’s Australia story. While Bangladesh can take pride in its historic victory in Darwin, the wicketkeeper-batter will now have to put a difficult tour behind him and look ahead to the challenges that await him in the longer format.