Litton Set for Practice Match Comeback as Tigers Intensify Test Preparations

Litton Das took another step towards his return to competitive cricket by joining Bangladesh's training session in Darwin on Wednesday, putting himself in contention for the practice match against the Cricket Australia XI, which begins on Thursday.

The wicketkeeper-batter, recovering from a calf injury, batted in the nets and went through wicketkeeping drills without any visible discomfort.

According to team sources, a final decision on Litton's availability for the warm-up match will be made on Thursday morning following a final fitness assessment.

With the practice fixture serving as Bangladesh's only opportunity to acclimatise to Australian conditions before the Test series, the possible return of the white-ball captain would provide a significant boost to the touring side.

Meanwhile, fast bowler Hasan Mahmud described the practice match as a crucial part of Bangladesh's preparations for the upcoming two-Test series.

"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 Wednesday's training session.

Bangladesh have been training at Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin, with a strong focus on adjusting to the extra pace and bounce expected in Australian conditions.

Hasan said the squad had made good progress during the past few days but still had work to do before the opening Test.

"We've had some very good training sessions. Today (Wednesday) we worked on our fielding, batting and bowling. We still have several more tasks and training sessions ahead of us," he said.

"Hopefully, everyone will complete their preparations well, and we'll be able to make a good start," he added.

For Litton, the warm-up game could be particularly important. After being sidelined by injury, the 31-year-old is expected to use the match to regain valuable match fitness and rhythm if he is declared fit to play.