Sports Desk: A majestic, record-shattering century by veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim has put Bangladesh on the brink of a historic Test victory against Pakistan in Sylhet.
Riding on Mushfiqur’s brilliant 137, Bangladesh posted 390 runs in their second innings. Combined with their 46-run first-innings lead, the hosts have set Pakistan a monumental target of 437 runs.
To win this match, Pakistan will have to pull off the highest successful run-chase in Test history, eclipsing the current world record of 418 runs held by the West Indies.
On a challenging fourth-innings pitch in Sylhet, chasing 437 is a near-impossible mountain to climb.
If the Bangladeshi spinners can find their rhythm on Day 4, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s men are well on their way to a memorable triumph.
Late Drama and Early Stumps
Pakistan faced a tense two overs before bad light forced the umpires to call stumps 15 minutes ahead of schedule.
Openers Azaan and Fazal played with extreme caution against Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam, failing to open their account. Pakistan finished the day at 0/0 after two consecutive maidens.
Mushfiqur Rewrites the Record Books
Earlier, Mushfiqur Rahim, who went into the tea break unbeaten on 90, wasted no time reaching his 14th Test century.
With this milestone, the dependable batter carved his name into the history books twice over:
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He became the first Bangladeshi cricketer to cross the 16,000-run milestone across all three international formats.
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He surpassed Muminul Haque (13 centuries) to become the sole holder of the most Test centuries for Bangladesh.
Mushfiqur was the last man dismissed, anchoring the innings with a masterclass of 137 off 233 balls, decorated with 12 boundaries and a solitary six.
Turning the Tide
The morning session started poorly for the Tigers. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was trapped LBW by Khurram Shahzad for just 15, a decision that stood even after a DRS review.
However, first-innings centurion Litton Das stepped up to steady the ship alongside Mushfiqur, playing a fluent knock of 69 off 92 balls.
Following the departures of Litton and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (19), Taijul Islam joined Mushfiqur to frustrate the Pakistani bowlers.
The duo stitched together a vital 77-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Taijul contributed a gritty 22 off 51 balls before being caught off Sajid Khan.
Looking for quick runs, Taskin Ahmed (6) and Shoriful Islam fell in quick succession, wrapping up Bangladesh’s second innings at 390.