Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto produced a superb knock yesterday, scoring his ninth Test century during the opening Test against Pakistan in Mirpur on Friday.

Given the way he dictated and dominated proceedings, there were expectations that he would go on to register a big score or even a double century.

However, Shanto was dismissed the very next delivery after reaching his hundred, trapped leg-before by Mohammad Abbas on Day 1.

Shanto’s career-best score of 163 came against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2021, and given his recent rich vein of form, the Bangladesh captain said he expects a double hundred to come soon.

“It should come, and I am hoping it will come quickly,” Shanto told broadcasters ahead of Day 2’s play in Mirpur today.

Shanto’s 101 off 130 deliveries was his first Test century against Pakistan, making him the first Bangladesh captain to score a Test hundred against them. He has been in exceptional form recently, scoring four centuries in his last eight innings in the format.

Yesterday’s innings was perhaps one of the finest of his career, with Mominul Haque -- with whom he shared a 170-run partnership -- also describing it as the best he has seen from Shanto.

Despite the fluent knock, Shanto downplayed any regrets about being dismissed immediately after reaching his century, although he admitted he should have gone on to post a bigger score.

“I am batting well, and I don’t want to say that I have regrets about the dismissal yesterday. As I said, I am batting well. But it’s true that given the situation the team was in when I was batting, I should have gone on to get a bigger score,” Shanto said.