The moment he realised his shot off Mohammad Abbas would race to the boundary, he raised his hand in celebration. He then flung away his bat in the middle of the pitch, lifted both arms aloft and embraced his batting partner Taijul Islam. It was the 14th Test century of his 21-year career across 102 Tests. Yet to Mushfiqur, it all seemed as fresh and emotional as a first.

When Bangladesh resumed batting yesterday morning, Mushfiqur’s partner was captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. Clouds hovered overhead and the Pakistani bowlers posed a stern challenge. But Mushfiqur never lost control. Wickets fell at the other end, and there was even a brief exchange between Taijul and Shan Masood. None of it disturbed Mushfiqur’s concentration.

At the end of one over, Taijul was taking a little extra time before getting back on strike, which appeared to irritate the Pakistan captain. Masood told him, “Go bat.” Taijul responded, “It’s not your job to decide when I should bat.”

Masood then moved towards Mushfiqur, perhaps hoping to break his concentration with a few words. After all, Mushfiqur was the biggest obstacle standing between Pakistan and an all-out Bangladesh innings.