SL vs BAN: Proving critics wrong Mushfiqur Rahim smashes century after 14 innings

Bangladesh finally got something in the Whites to cheer about. On Day 1 of the first Test against Sri Lanka, the visiting team found not one, but two centurions in Najmul Hossain Shanto, the skipper of the Bangladesh team, and the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim.

Pritam Santra

Published - Jun 17, 2025, 19:06 IST | Updated - Jun 17, 2025, 19:06 IST

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Bangladesh finally got something in the Whites to cheer about. On Day 1 of the first Test against Sri Lanka, the visiting team found not one, but two centurions in Najmul Hossain Shanto, the skipper of the Bangladesh team, and the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim. At the age of 38, he got his 12th Test century.

Before the beginning of the two-match Test series, Rahim was under pressure. After playing a match-winning knock against Pakistan last year, his form gradually continued on a decline phase. Despite being a senior player of the squad, the keeper-batter felt the urge to show his class once again.

The match at the Galle International Stadium is marked as the last Test match of Sri Lankan cricket legend Angelo Mathews. Sri Lanka, the host team, started the match with a well-noted departure of both the openers of Bangladesh—Shadman Islam and Anamul Haque (0); Mominul Haque, at number 3, was caught out for 29. From here, the Tiger Brigade has started to roar.

Two back-to-back centuries put Bangladesh in the driving seat after Day 1. Captain Shanto and Rahim will start Day 2 with 136 and 105, respectively. Rahim's recent batting was under the scanner, and today, when he came to bat, he was under mountain-sized pressure. This inning will provide him some much-needed boost for the upcoming days. During his 105-run innings on Day 1, he hit 5 deliveries for boundaries and showed resilience on the wicket.