Daily Times

Mushfiqur Rahim recorded the highest individual score by a Bangladesh batter in Pakistan and helped push his team into the lead in the first Test in Rawalpindi on Saturday.

The 37-year-old was unbeaten on 173 for his 11th Test century, defying the Pakistan pace attack as Bangladesh reached 495-6 at tea. The visitors are now 47 runs ahead of Pakistan’s first innings total of 448-6 declared, and have an outside chance of capturing their first win over Pakistan. Bangladesh have lost 12 of 13 Tests against Pakistan, with one draw. Mushfiqur overtook the previous highest individual score of 119 by Javed Omar, scored in Peshawar in 2003, and was lucky to get a life on 150 when Babar Azam dropped him off Salman Agha at leg slip.

Mushfiqur has so far struck 20 boundaries and a six in a marathon eight-hour, 10-minute knock, setting a Bangladesh record of 163 for the unbroken seventh wicket with Miraz in all Test cricket. The previous record of 145 was set by Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyadh against New Zealand in Hamilton in 2010.

The Rawalpindi pitch continued to support batting as Bangladesh lost only Liton Das (56) in the two sessions, with Mushfiqur anchoring the batting. He added 114 for the sixth wicket with Liton to lift Bangladesh.

Before Liton’s dismissal, Pakistan thought they had Mushfiqur leg-before by pace bowler Mohammad Ali but umpire Richard Kettleborough’s verdict was overturned on review when the replay showed the ball missing leg stump. Mushfiqur, then on 59, went on to hit two boundaries off both Khurram Shahzad and Saim Ayub before reaching the three-figure mark. Resuming at 316-5 Bangladesh lost Liton in the ninth over of the day when Naseem Shah’s short delivery caught an edge and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan took an easy catch. Liton added just four to his overnight score of 52, hitting eight boundaries and a six. For Pakistan, Shahzad (2-81) and Naseem (2-92) were the pick of the bowlers.

The second and final Test will also be played in Rawalpindi, from August 30.