My target was how to take the team to 200 – Litton Das

Is this Litton Kumar Das' best Test hundred?

That question can only truly be answered once Litton retires from the format. But one thing already feels certain: this innings belongs among his very best.

When Litton reached his hundred, former Pakistan captain and current commentator Ramiz Raja remarked on air that it was worth far more than just 100. In many ways, it felt like a 130, considering how carefully he shielded the tail after Bangladesh had slumped to 116 for 6. From the brink of collapse, Litton dragged the hosts to 278 by stumps almost single-handedly.

He added 60 runs with Taijul Islam for the seventh wicket, followed by partnerships worth 38 with Taskin Ahmed and 64 with Shoriful Islam. Of the 162 runs Bangladesh added alongside the three lower-order batters, Litton himself scored 124, underlining both the quality of the innings and the precision with which he managed the strike.

The right-hander was careful not to expose the tail unnecessarily. Singles were often available, but Litton repeatedly turned them down to retain strike. Yet that did not mean he batted slowly. His century came in two contrasting halves: the first fifty took 93 balls, while the next arrived in just 35.

His intent was perhaps best reflected in the way he responded to Khurram Shahzad's short-ball barrage. After being struck on the hand by the Pakistan pacer, Litton answered on the very next delivery by swivelling into a pull over fine leg for six. It was one of several moments in an extraordinary exhibition of counterattack against Pakistan's suffocating fields.

With catchers stationed deep and bouncers arriving repeatedly, Litton unfurled a remarkable range of pull shots. As many as 56 of his 126 runs came in the arc between square leg and third man.

"Regarding the bouncer, I think it's a scoring opportunity for me. But unfortunately in the last two innings I got out to bouncers, and even today I think that was in the back of their minds. Since I got out to bouncers in two consecutive innings, they probably felt it was the best option. But I enjoyed the bouncer a lot," Litton said about Pakistan's short-ball ploy.

Batting at No. 6, Litton produced an innings of exceptional composure and control under pressure, striking 16 fours and two sixes in his 159-ball stay. It was his sixth Test century and third against Pakistan.

Rescue acts are hardly new territory for Litton. Three of his six Test hundreds have now come after Bangladesh had lost four wickets with fewer than 50 runs on the board. This time, he walked in after captain Najmul Hossain Shanto departed with Bangladesh at 106 for 4. The score soon became 116 for 6 before Litton began scripting another rescue act of the highest quality.

"The most important thing in this innings – bigger than the century – is that Taijul, Taskin and Shoriful all batted well and faced a lot of balls. Naturally they won't score runs, the responsibility to score is mine as the batsman," Litton said after the day's play.

Whether this innings surpasses his celebrated 138 in Rawalpindi, when Bangladesh were 20 for 4, or his 141 against Sri Lanka in Mirpur after they had slipped to 24 for 5, remains open to debate. Litton, however, felt this knock in Sylhet demanded a different kind of approach because of the batting resources around him.

"Two things can happen. I think the innings against Sri Lanka was totally different because there was a partnership with Mushi bhai [Mushfiqur Rahim]. When your partner is a batter, the mindset stays clear. In Rawalpindi too it was the same because Miraz [Mehidy Hasan] is a batter – for a long time in that innings I had almost 80 runs, I only had to struggle for 20," said Litton.

"Today's was totally different. I think when I was on two or three, Taijul bhai came to strike. Nobody can announce and score a century. And I'm not very worried about scoring a century either. My target was how runs could come onto the board. When Taijul bhai came, our score was 110-something. So my target was how to take the team to 200. Obviously I had to fill up that target myself – my tail won't score runs, I have to score them. So I sent a message asking whether we should go attacking or not. From upstairs they just said play for runs. So I tried to score runs.

"My role itself is different. Some days you'll see the top order scoring runs and maybe I come in around the 60th or 70th over when the ball has started turning. So my cricket is such that I have to enjoy whatever particular situation comes. This is also a challenge, but there were many things to enjoy here too," he said.