Dhaka: Bangladesh stalwart Mushfiqur Rahim has joined an elite group of cricketers by scoring a century in his 100th Test appearance.
Rahim, the first Bangladeshi to reach the milestone of 100 Test matches, produced a gritty 106 off 214 balls to put his side in control of the second Test against Ireland in Dhaka.
With this knock, he joins an exclusive club featuring Colin Cowdrey, Javed Miandad, Gordon Greenidge and Graeme Smith, all of whom reached three figures in their respective 100th Tests.
Among the 11 players to achieve this distinction, Ricky Ponting remains a standout, having struck centuries in both innings of his 100th Test against South Africa in Sydney in 2006. Before Rahim, the most recent additions to the list were Joe Root in 2021 and David Warner in 2022.
Bangladesh, having chosen to bat first, closed Day 1 on 292 for 4, with Rahim stranded on 99. The 38-year-old brought up his 13th Test hundred early on Day 2, an innings decorated with five boundaries, strengthening Bangladesh’s bid for a series sweep.
Bangladesh seized control as Rahim and Litton Das combined for a crucial 108-run stand for the fifth wicket, with the seasoned pair effectively putting the game beyond Ireland’s reach. Wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das struck 128 while Mominul Haque scored a half-century to steer Bangladesh to 476 in their first innings.
For the visitors, Andy McBrine returned with the figures 6-109 while Matthews Humphreys and Gavin Hoey bagged two scalps apiece.
The hosts entered the match with a 1–0 lead after an innings-and-47-run victory in the opening Test in Sylhet.
IANS
