Litton Das completed a full-fledged practice session without any discomfort at the DXC Arena, formerly known as Marrara Cricket Ground, on Wednesday. Having arrived with the second batch of the touring party, the wicketkeeper-batter participated in his first training session alongside his teammates in Australia.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials have confirmed they are keeping their fingers crossed regarding Litton’s availability for the upcoming three-day practice match against Cricket Australia XI. The fixture is scheduled to take place in Darwin from August 6-8.
BCB chief selector Habibul Bashar expressed optimism following the session. “It’s a great relief to see him completing the practice session without any complaint,” Bashar told on Wednesday. He added that the team management will make a final decision regarding Litton’s participation in the practice game after assessing his condition on the morning of the match.
Litton, who sustained a left calf injury during the home ODI series against Australia in June, missed Bangladesh’s tour of Zimbabwe throughout June and July. However, he has recovered in time to join the squad for the Australian tour. The national selection panel, which initially ruled him out for the opening Test, later added him to the squad for the two-match series.
During Wednesday’s session, Litton spent significant time batting in the nets before transitioning to wicketkeeping drills, where he showed no visible signs of distress. “There were no batting issues previously during the Zimbabwe series. His actual problem is the calf injury, which causes issues during quick turns and running,” Bashar explained. “Let’s hope for the best.”
For Litton, the practice match is viewed as a vital opportunity to regain match rhythm. Having missed competitive action for several weeks due to the injury, the experienced batter is expected to use the game to test his fitness and timing if he is cleared to play.
The squad has been training at the Marrara Cricket Ground since their arrival, with coaching staff focusing on adapting to the extra pace and bounce characteristic of Australian pitches. Pace bowler Hasan Mahmud emphasized the importance of the practice game for the team’s preparation.
“I think our practice match is very important for our preparation ahead of the Test, and it will help us a lot in adapting to the conditions and the pitch,” Hasan said after the training session. “We’ve had some very good training sessions. Today we worked on our fielding, batting and bowling. We still have several more tasks and training sessions ahead of us. Hopefully, everyone will complete their preparations well and we’ll be able to make a good start.”
