Veteran Mushfiqur Rahim slammed his 14th Test hundred as Bangladesh tightened their grip on the Sylhet Test against Pakistan with a composed batting display on the third day, setting a daunting 437-run target as the visitors chase a new piece of history.
The visitors were none for none at the end of the day's play as only two overs were bowled in Pakistan's second innings.
Mushfiqur completed his century by smashing a boundary off Mohammad Abbas after Tea. With this hundred, Mushfiqur now holds the record for the most Test centuries by a Bangladeshi batter, surpassing Mominul Haque’s 13.
Mushfiqur was dismissed as the last batter as Bangladesh’s second innings ended on 390 in 102.2 overs, taking a lead of 436 runs. The hosts had scored 278 in the first innings.
Sajid Khan claimed the prized wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim, who looked visibly frustrated after his dismissal. Tossed up with tempting flight, Mushfiqur went down on one knee and pummeled the ball into the air, only for Mohammad Abbas to complete a comfortable catch at deep midwicket.
Mushfiqur scored 137 off 233 balls that featured 12 fours and a six.
Khurram Shahzad took four wickets for 86 runs in 20 overs while Sajid claimed three for 126 runs in 33.2 overs.
Unlike the opening two days, when the Sylhet surface heavily favoured the bowlers, conditions appeared considerably friendlier for batting on Monday. Although there was still occasional movement under overcast skies early in the day, Bangladesh’s batters showed far greater assurance and patience.
The day, however, carried mixed emotions for the home side. Liton Das looked set for a place in the record books before falling against the run of play. The wicketkeeper-batter, who had starred in the first innings, was eyeing a rare feat — becoming only the third wicketkeeper-batter in Test history, after Andy Flower and Rishabh Pant, to score centuries in both innings of a Test.
Liton appeared in sublime touch during his fluent 69, but his promising innings ended abruptly after lunch. Attempting an upper-cut off Hasan Ali, he was caught at third man, handing Pakistan a breakthrough just when Bangladesh seemed poised to take complete control.
Before Liton’s dismissal, he and Mushfiqur had stitched together a crucial 123-run fifth-wicket stand that shifted the momentum decisively in Bangladesh’s favour. Mushfiqur, cautious from the outset, anchored the innings with remarkable discipline while allowing his partner to play more freely.
The experienced batter was especially watchful during the morning session, when the ball still offered movement. He became even more restrained after captain Najmul Hossain Shanto departed within the first hour.
In the partnership with Liton, Mushfiqur contributed only 49 runs, content to absorb pressure and preserve his wicket. Even after Liton’s departure, he continued to prioritise stability, adding just 13 runs during a 34-run stand with Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
However, the veteran shifted gears late in the session alongside Taijul, finding boundaries more regularly as Bangladesh sought to bat Pakistan completely out of the contest.
History strongly favours the hosts from this position. Sylhet has witnessed only one successful fourth-innings chase in five previous Tests — Zimbabwe’s three-wicket win over Bangladesh last year, when they successfully chased 174. Whenever fourth-innings targets at the venue have exceeded 300, the chasing side has crumbled to heavy defeats.
Bangladesh themselves have endured painful memories at the ground, including a 151-run loss to Zimbabwe while chasing 321 in Sylhet’s inaugural Test in 2018 and a crushing 328-run defeat against Sri Lanka in 2024 after being set 511.
Yet there are also reasons for optimism. In 2023, New Zealand failed to chase 332 at the same venue, collapsing to a 150-run defeat.
Across all Test matches in Bangladesh, only once has a team successfully chased more than 350 — when Kyle Mayers inspired the West Indies to a remarkable chase of 395 in 2021.
With the Sylhet pitch still offering reasonable batting conditions, Bangladesh will now aim to stretch the lead well beyond Pakistan’s reach before unleashing their bowlers on a wearing final-day surface.
