Hunger beyond hundred

Shaking his head in disappointment, Bangladesh stalwart Mushfiqur Rahim walked back to the pavilion. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto rushed to the boundary to applaud him, but Mushfiqur, oblivious to the gesture, kicked his helmet in frustration. The lead over Pakistan had already swelled to 436 runs, courtesy of Mushfiqur's gritty 137 yesterday. While a declaration seemed logical, his reaction reflected a batter still hungry for more.

At stumps on the third day of the Sylhet Test, the match remains heavily tilted in Bangladesh's favour. Barring rain, anything other than a home victory would require a miracle, as Pakistan brace for a world-record chase to save the series after losing the Mirpur Test by 104 runs.

Mushfiqur was the chief architect of his team’s commanding position. Aside from the morning session, the surface remained ideal for batting. Chief Selector Habibul Bashar, watching at the picturesque Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, was in high spirits. “The wicket was at its best for batting today, and it feels great that we capitalised on it fully,” Bashar said in a casual chat with reporters.

Despite rain threats, play continued uninterrupted over three days, though the weather left its mark. In conditions reminiscent of an English summer, pacers found movement under overcast skies, before batters cashed in once the sun broke through.

Following overnight showers, the damp, cloudy morning offered significant assistance to seamers. Shanto fell early, trapped leg-before by Khurram Shahzad. Reading the situation, Mushfiqur adjusted his approach, patiently absorbing deliveries, with Litton Das easing the pressure from the other end.

Litton, however, missed the chance to become only the third wicketkeeper-batter to score twin Test centuries, throwing his wicket away with an ambitious shot on 69. Mushfiqur then took on the responsibility alongside Mehidy Hasan Miraz, using a compact technique to blunt the bowlers’ lengths and deliver exactly what was required.

His patience, built over long spells, laid the foundation. Mushfiqur’s emotions surfaced upon reaching his milestone -- after slashing Mohammad Abbas for a boundary to bring up his 14th Test hundred, he hurled his bat down and roared in celebration, possibly fuelled by a heated exchange with Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel before Tea.

Beyond those moments, he remained composed. With time in hand, Bangladesh needed the 39-year-old to anchor, and he did so effectively, frustrating the visitors and steadily shutting them out of the contest.

Mushfiqur added 112 runs with the tail. Even after the last wicket fell, his frustration showed he wanted more. After play, Taijul Islam called the senior presence a blessing. “An experience of 10 to 15 years is unparalleled. Senior contributions inspire others to handle pressure,” he said.

The onus now shifts to the bowlers, particularly the pacers, who have ample time to execute their plans. Taijul noted the wicket remains good, meaning the spinners’ job is to dry up runs and build pressure for an aggressive push towards another historic whitewash, following the 2-0 away series win in 2024. 
 

Mileston man Mushfiqur

• Mushfiqur Rahim, playing his 102nd Test, became the first Bangladesh player and 34th overall to reach 16,000 international runs across formats. Mushfiqur’s 14th Test century -- his third in second innings -- also took the 39-year-old past Mominul Haque as the Tigers' leading Test centurion.
   
• Since the start of 2022, Mushfiqur has hit seven hundreds and five fifties to score 1,907 runs in 25 Tests at an average of 46.51 -- seventh highest globally among batters with at least 25 Tests in the period. In that list, Joe Root and Shubhman Gill also registered more centuries than fifties.