Mushfiqur Rahim became Bangladesh’s leading Test centurion on Monday after scoring his 14th hundred against Pakistan in Sylhet.
The veteran wicketkeeper-batter moved past Mominul Haque’s tally of 13 Test centuries during Bangladesh’s second innings in the second Test at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. Mushfiq reached the landmark with a boundary through cover-point off Mohammad Abbas after facing 178 balls.
The century carried more weight than a personal milestone. Bangladesh had already stretched their lead beyond 350 when Mushfiq reached three figures, placing Pakistan under mounting scoreboard pressure on a wearing surface.
Mushfiq resumed after tea unbeaten on 90. Pakistan slowed the scoring rate with defensive fields and fuller lines outside off stump, forcing him to wait another 23 deliveries for the remaining 10 runs. He eventually broke through with a clean boundary off Abbas and raised his bat to a standing ovation in Sylhet.
The innings again highlighted the role Mushfiq continues to play in Bangladesh’s Test middle order at the age of 39. He arrived at the crease after captain Najmul Hossain Shanto lost his wicket and immediately rebuilt the innings with Litton Das.
The pair added 123 runs for the sixth wicket before Litton departed for 69. Mushfiq continued to control the innings with calculated strike rotation and selective aggression. His hundred included nine fours and one six.
The innings also took Mushfiq beyond 16,000 international runs, another mark no Bangladesh batter has previously reached. Across formats, he now owns 22 international centuries and 85 fifties.
His partnership numbers with Litton also continue to stand out in Test cricket. The pair now hold seven century stands for the fifth wicket or lower in only 25 innings together. Only England’s Joe Root and Ben Stokes have produced more such partnerships, with eight in 47 innings.
After Litton’s dismissal, Mushfiq added another 59 runs with Taijul Islam as Bangladesh extended their lead to 377.
