Mushfiqur’s century sets multiple records
Mushfiqur, who hadn’t played in a while, participated in a longer-format match for Bangladesh ‘A’ in Pakistan before returning to the national team.
Though he wasn’t fully satisfied with his batting in that match, he certainly found his rhythm in the first Test of the series, reaching the coveted three-figure mark.
In the ongoing first innings of the Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the 37-year-old has been leading the charge for Bangladesh. Before lunch on the third day, Mushfiqur scored a brilliant century, surpassing Tamim Iqbal in two records and setting a new benchmark for Bangladeshi batsmen abroad.
Playing in his 89th Test, this is Mushfiqur’s 11th century. Previously, he was tied with Tamim, both having 10 centuries. With this responsible innings, the right-handed batsman, who holds the record for the most Test runs for Bangladesh, moved up a notch. Now, only Mominul Haque, with 12 centuries, stands ahead of him.
Mushfiqur also surpassed Tamim in another record. This century marked his fifth century abroad in Test cricket, the highest among Bangladeshi batsmen. Until now, both Mushfiqur and Tamim had four centuries each abroad. Across all formats, this is Mushfiqur’s 20th century, making him second only to Tamim, who has 25 centuries.
In addition to surpassing Tamim in two records, Mushfiqur has also matched him in another achievement. He has become the second Bangladeshi batsman to reach 15,000 runs in international cricket. As of this report, his total stands at 15,084 runs, with Tamim leading at 15,192 runs.
In an innings dominated by Mushfiqur, several other Bangladeshi batsmen also made valuable contributions. After Pakistan declared their first innings at 448 for six, Bangladesh responded with 427 for six in 130 overs. Mushfiqur is unbeaten on 126, with Mehedi Hasan Miraz on 29. Earlier, Shadman scored 93, Mominul 50, and Liton 56.
