Litton and Mehidy lead Bangladesh's splendid fightback in 2nd test against Pakistan

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — Century-maker Litton Das and Mehidy Hasan Miraz led a Bangladesh fightback in the second test, overshadowing Pakistan fast bowler Khurram Shahzad’s maiden five-wicket haul on Sunday.

Litton laced his attacking 138 with 13 fours and two sixes while Mehidy made an equally impressive 78 that propelled Bangladesh to 262 after Shahzad's early burst had left the tourists reeling at 26-6 inside the first hour on Day 3.

Pakistan, which lost the first test by 10 wickets last week, lost opener Abdullah Shafique and nightwatchman Shahzad to fast bowler Hasan Mahmood and limped to 9-2 at stumps for an overall lead of 21 runs.

“I was a little bit nervous when I came out to bat before the first drinks interval,” said Litton, who struck his fourth test hundred and second against Pakistan. “I took it positive way and took responsibility with Miraz when they had a good momentum.”

Shafique had a below-par series by scoring only 42 runs in four innings before he edged Mahmud and the fast bowler capped the perfect day for Bangladesh by knocking back the stumps of Shahzad in the last over of the day.

“We have to take responsibility as bowling and fielding side,” Litton said. “If we bowl in right areas they will struggle. This wicket is not easy to bat on, and we have good spinners and pacers.”

Shahzad snared 6-90 but both Litton and Mehidy counterattacked the right-arm seamer after lunch with an enterprising 165-run partnership while keeping sole specialist spinner Abrar Ahmed at bay (0-83) as Pakistan's third seamer Mohammad Ali left the field due to dehydration.

“I enjoy batting with Mehidy, he’s always positive and we talked how to score in that situation,” Litton said.

Shahzad added two more to his four-wicket burst in the morning session when Mehidy, who hit 12 fours and a six, offered a tame return catch to the right-arm fast bowler and Taskin Ahmed was pinned down leg before wicket.

Litton raised his century soon after tea when he cut Ahmed to the third-man boundary and further frustrated Pakistan by raising 69 runs with No. 10 Mahmud, who made 13.

Pakistan was scratchy in the field as Ahmed couldn’t hold onto a tough one-handed return catch when Litton was on 90 and then skipper Shan Masood dropped a low catch off Mahmud at short cover.

All-rounder Salman Ali Agha, who bowled 41 overs in the first test after Pakistan left out Abrar but bowled just 3.4 overs this time around, finally ended Pakistan’s misery in the field when Litton was caught at long-on after staying at the wicket for 5.5 hours.

Earlier, the Bangladesh top order stumbled against Shahzad and Mir Hamza’s (2-50) impeccable seam and swing and slumped to 26-6 inside 34 balls after they resumed Sunday at 10-0.

Shahzad started Bangladesh’s slide when Zakir Islam (10), the only top-order batter to reach double figures, softly flicked the right-arm seamer to mid-wicket. Shahzad then clean bowled left-hander Shadman Islam round his legs and then induced a sharp inswinger to strike the stumps of captain Najmul Hossain Shanto inside one over.

Left-armer Hamza kept up the pressure from other end and induced a leading edge from Mominul Haque before first test century-maker Mushfiqur Rahim fell to an outswinger and edged behind the wicket.

Shahzad capped the best session of the series for Pakistan when he had Shakib Al Hasan leg before wicket before Litton and Mehidy dominated the pace and spin by raising a superb century partnership and led Bangladesh's comeback.

“Such phases do come in test matches," Shahzad said, who shared the new ball with Hamza after Pakistan rested its frontline pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah for the second test.

"We had one good session, but when the ball didn’t swing (after lunch), they put up a good partnership and we struggled.”

Pakistan had capitalized on four dropped catches to score 274 on Day 2 after the first day was washed out due to persistent rain in Rawalpindi.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Pakistan's Khurram Shahzad, center, celebrates with teammates after taking wickets of Bangladesh's Najmul Hossain Shanto during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Khurram Shahzad, performs Sajdah, a prayer bow in gratitude to God, after taking his fifth wicket, during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Bangladesh's Mehidy Hasan Mirza, left, bumps his fist with Litton Das during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Bangladesh's Mehidy Hasan Mirza plays a shot during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Bangladesh's Litton Das, right, and Mehidy Hasan Mirza run between the wickets during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Bangladesh's Mehidy Hasan Mirza, left, helps to Litton Das to get relief from a cramp during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Bangladesh's Litton Das celebrates after scoring century during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Bangladesh's Litton Das plays a shot during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Bangladesh's Litton Das kisses his helmet after scoring century during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Bangladesh's Mehidy Hasan Mirza plays a shot during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Bangladesh's Najmul Hossain Shanto looks wickets as he is bowled out by Pakistan's Khurram Shahzad during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Mir Hamza, center, celebrates with teammates after taking wicket of Bangladesh's Mominul Haque during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Khurram Shahzad bowls during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Khurram Shahzad, center, celebrates with teammates after taking wickets of Bangladesh's Najmul Hossain Shanto during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Khurram Shahzad celebrates after taking wickets of Bangladesh's Najmul Hossain Shanto during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Derrick Davis scored on a 1-yard dive with 32 seconds remaining and Pittsburgh rallied past West Virginia 38-34 on Saturday in the 107th edition of the Backyard Brawl.

The Panthers (3-0) trailed by 10 with less than 5 minutes to go before Eli Holstein, a redshirt freshman transfer from Alabama, led a stirring comeback that added another memorable chapter in a rivalry that dates to 1895.

Holstein found Daejon Reynolds with a 40-yard heave to the end zone with 3:06 remaining to bring Pitt within a field goal. The Panthers got the ball back with 1:59 left and Holstein deftly guided Pitt 77 yards, though Davis' go-ahead score came with Holstein on the sideline after the quarterback's helmet came off trying to bull his way into the end zone on the previous play.

No matter, Nate Yarnell — who lost a training camp battle with Holstein to be the starter — came on and handed it to Davis, a Pittsburgh native trying to resurrect his career after a stint at LSU.

The victory was Pitt's second in three tries against the Mountaineers since the series was renewed in 2022. It also marked the Panthers' second impressive comeback in eight days.

Pitt trailed Cincinnati by 21 in the second half before roaring back last week. The stakes were even higher and things considerably bleaker against the Mountaineers after WVU's Garrett Greene hit Justin Robinson for a 28-yard touchdown with 4:55 to play to put the Mountaineers up 34-24.

Yet Holstein was just getting started on a day he passed for 301 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 59 more. He was near perfect down the stretch to give Pitt its first 3-0 start since 2020.

Greene finished with 210 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns but was also picked off twice, including a desperation toss with 4 seconds remaining.

The Mountaineers (1-2) committed a handful of self-inflicted wounds along the way. They had a long touchdown pass in the third quarter called back after being flagged for holding then subsequently gave up a blocked punt that Pitt's Brandon George returned for a score that put Pitt up 24-17.

WVU reeled off the next 17 points and appeared to be firmly in control after Robinson made a leaping one-handed grab at the goal line — with his other hand in the facemask of a Pitt player — only to see Pitt's offense come to life late behind Holstein.

WVU: Neal Brown may have trouble backing up last year's somewhat surprising 9-win campaign. The Mountaineers remain a work in progress on defense and the offense might not be potent enough to overcome it.

Pitt: Holstein has emphatically ended the Panthers' search for a quarterback and a team that was picked to finish 13th in the expanded ACC looks as if it could be dangerous once conference play begins in October.

WVU: begins Big 12 play next Saturday when Kansas visits Mountaineer Field.

Pitt: finishes up nonconference play next Saturday at home against Youngstown State.

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Pittsburgh running back Desmond Reid (0) pulls in a pass for a touchdown as he's defended by West Virginia linebacker Josiah Trotter, right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene, right, hands off to wide receiver Traylon Ray, left, during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene (6) looks to throw during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Pittsburgh Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

West Virginia running back Jahiem White (1) scores during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh running back Desmond Reid (0) celebrates with Raphael Williams Jr. (5) after scoring during the first half of an NCAA college football game against West Virginia Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein (10) looks to throw during the first half of an NCAA college football game against West Virginia, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)