The plaudits arrived quickly for Bangladesh veteran Mushfiqur Rahim following his record-breaking century on the third day of the second Test against Pakistan in Sylhet.
Mushfiqur scored his 14th Test century on Monday, surpassing the 13 tons made by teammate Mominul Haque to become the most prolific centurion in Bangladesh Test history.
His innings of 137 also saw Mushfiqur become the oldest centurion in the history of the ICC World Test Championship, with the right-hander achieving the feat at 39 years and seven days and receiving plenty of praise in the process from teammate Taijul Islam.
Taijul shared a 77-run stand with Mushfiqur early on the third day to help Bangladesh post 390 in their second innings and leave Pakistan requiring 437 runs for victory with two days remaining at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
“A century is always a huge achievement, whether by a senior cricketer or anyone else. And when a senior player contributes like this, the junior players also get inspired,” Taijul said of Mushfiqur’s innings.
“They start understanding how to hold that position or build partnerships. When someone bats alongside him, that habit slowly develops in them too. Gradually these things improve within a team.
“Having three or four senior players in a team is a blessing. They can understand many things beforehand – what situation the team is heading towards or what we should do. These things help. When there are three, four or five such players, it becomes an advantage.”
Pakistan will now need to create history of their own if they are to record an unlikely victory, with the side requiring a new record for the highest successful run chase in Test cricket should they be able to chase down the target of 437 to win.
The West Indies currently hold the record for the highest successful run chase in Tests at 418 against Australia in 2003, while Pakistan’s best came in 2015 when they scored 382/3 when chasing a victory target of 377 against Sri Lanka in Pallekele.
But despite the tough ask, Pakistan bowling coach Umar Gul believes anything is possible with two days remaining in the Test.
“To chase 437 runs, you have to be brave and play positive cricket. In cricket, anything is possible, and there is a possibility for both teams,” he said.
“We have two days left, we are mentally prepared that there is enough time. If we bat through the full duration, there is a chance to win because we aren’t just looking for a draw. We are prepared for the chase.”
Series schedule:
First Test: May 8-12, Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (Bangladesh won by 104 runs)
Second Test: May 16-20, Sylhet International Cricket Stadium