RAWALPINDI: Veteran batter Mushifqur Rahim smashed a marathon 191 on Saturday to help Bangladesh post a record total and give an outside chance to the visitors of a maiden Test win against Pakistan here at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.

The 37-year-old’s marvellous show with the bat — that created a number of records — enabled Bangladesh to post a mammoth 565 all out in their first innings on the fourth day of the Test and take a crucial 117-run lead against the hosts who had posted 448-6 declared.

Bangladesh’s previous best total against Pakistan in Tests was 555-6 which they amassed at Khulna in 2015.

At stumps, Pakistan in their second innings reached 23 for one, still trailing by 94 runs, with opener Abdullah Shafique (12) and captain Shan Masood (nine) at the crease. Opener Saim Ayub (one) was dismissed cheaply when the southpaw edged a good-length ball from fast bowler Shoriful Islam to wicket-keeper Litton Das in the third over of the innings.

Bangladesh, who have lost 12 of the 13 Tests against Pakistan while one ended as draw, will hope their spinners can get some turn from the pitch that has offered almost no assistance to bowlers so far.

Having come in to bat at number five on Friday, Mushfiqur was 55 overnight as Bangladesh started the day at 316 for five.

On a hot day, the diminutive Bogra-born batter showing controlled aggression and solid defence played outstanding shots during his epic knock during which he faced 341 balls.

The experienced Bangladesh batter with 88 Tests under his belt entertained an improved crowd on Saturday perhaps because of free entry and holiday, striking 22 fours and a six during a marathon stay of eight hours and 42 minutes.

He overtook the previous highest individual Test score by a Bangladesh batter in Pakistan — by Javed Omar who scored 119 in Peshawar in 2003.

Mushfiqur enjoyed some luck as well as he got a life on 150 when Babar Azam dropped him off spinner Salman at leg slip.

Pakistan players also reckoned that they had Mushfiqur leg-before by Ali on 59 but umpire Richard Kettle­borough’s original decision was overturned on review when the replay showed the ball was missing leg stump.

Mushfiqur then struck two boundaries off both Khurram Shahzad and Saim before reaching his 11th Test century.

Mushfiqur first added 114 runs for the sixth wicket with Litton (56) who could add only four runs to his overnight score before being caught by wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan off pacer Naseem Shah. The wicket-keeper/batter then combined with Mehidy Hasan Miraz (77) to craft a record 196-run stand for the seventh wicket.

Mushfiqur and Mehidy in the process — besides helping the visitors surpass Pakistan’s total — eclipsed the previous record of 186 set by New Zealand’s Warren Lees and Richard Hadlee at Karachi in 1976.

Fast bowler Mohammad Ali denied Mushfiqur a double hundred by producing an edge, which was collected by Rizwan.

Mehidy praised Mushfiqur’s scintillating knock.

“Mushfiqur played a great knock,” said Mehidy and hoped that Bangladesh can extract a win. “Definitely the first hour tomorrow will be important and if we get early wickets we have a good chance.”

The 26-year-old Mehidy, who was dropped on 52 and 59 was the ninth batter out after scoring a 179-ball 77 studded with six fours. He fell to fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, who celebrated the birth of his first child by finishing with figures of 2-88 off 30 overs.

Later, Shoriful Islam’s 22 off 14 provided a boost to Bangladesh entertained crowd before the innings was finally wrapped up by Naseem.

Naseem was the most successful of the four-pacer attack with figures of 3-93 off 27.3 overs while Shaheen, Ali and Khurram picked up two wickets apiece while one was claimed by Saim.

The 21-year-old Naseem admitted that the pitch did not help pacers as was being expected.

“We did not get as much help from the pitch as we expected,” the right-armer said. “We have been getting such wickets so we have to think how can we get the home advantage.”

Pakistan’s assistant coach Azhar Mahmood shared the same idea.

“We did not expect the wicket to be so slow,” Azhar told the broadcasters. “It was a hot day but still credit to our bowlers who ran in hard and gave their best.”

Salman Ali Agha turned down 41 overs and remained wicketless, but he will consider himself unlucky as two catches were dropped off his bowling.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN (1st Innings) 448-6 declared (Mohammad Rizwan 171 not out, Saud Shakeel 141, Saim Ayub 56; Shoriful Islam 2-77, Hasan Mahmud 2-70)

BANGLADESH (1st Innings, overnight 316-5):

Shadman Islam b Ali 93

Zakir Hasan c Rizwan b Naseem 12

Najmul Hossain b Khurram 16

Mominul Haque b Khurram 50

Mushfiqur Rahim c Rizwan b Ali 191

Shakib Al Hasan c Shan b Saim 15

Litton Das c Rizwan b Naseem 56

Mehidy Hasan c Salman b Shaheen 77

Hasan Mahmud c Rizwan b Shaheen 0

Shoriful Islam c Abdullah b Naseem 22

Nahid Rana not out 1

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-25, NB-3, W-2) 32

TOTAL (all out, 167.3 overs) 565

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-31 (Hasan), 2-53 (Najmul), 3-147 (Mominul), 4-199 (Shadman), 5-218 (Shakib), 6-332 (Litton), 7-528 (Mushfiqur), 8-534 (Hasan), 9-557 (Mehidy)

BOWLING: Shaheen 30-3-88-2; Naseem 27.3-6-93-3 (1w, 1nb); Khurram 29-3-90-2 (1nb); Ali 31-4-88-2 (1w, 1nb); Salman 41-3-136-0; Saim 7-1-34-1; Saud 2-0-9-0

PAKISTAN (2nd Innings):

Abdullah Shafique not out 12

Saim Ayub c Litton b Shoriful 1

Shan Masood not out 9

EXTRAS (LB-1) 1

TOTAL (for one wicket, 10 overs) 23

FALL OF WICKET: 1-5 (Saim)

STILL TO BAT: Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali

BOWLING: Shoriful 5-2-13-1; Hasan 5-2-9-0

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2024