Mushfiqur joins Australia great Ponting with rare feat in 100th Test

A century and a fifty against Ireland put him alongside the Australian legend as one of only two players with twin fifties in their centenary Test

Mushfiqur Rahim fell short of matching Ricky Ponting’s remarkable achievement of scoring centuries in both innings of a 100th Test, but the Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter still entered an exclusive club on Saturday in Mirpur.

The 36-year-old struck an unbeaten 53 in Bangladesh’s second innings against Ireland, adding to his 106 in the first innings. It makes Mushfiqur only the second player after Ponting to score fifty or more in both innings of his 100th Test.

Ponting set the benchmark in 2006, scoring 120 and an unbeaten 143 against South Africa in Sydney -- the only player to have made twin hundreds in their 100th Test appearance.

Mushfiqur reached his second-innings fifty during the afternoon session on day four, shortly before captain Najmul Hossain Shanto declared Bangladesh’s innings on 297–4. He finished unbeaten, while partner Mominul Haque fell for 87 at the other end.

Joe Root had previously come closest to Ponting’s milestone. The England captain made 218 -- the highest individual score in a 100th Test -- against India in Chennai in 2021, but was out for 40 in the second innings.

Ponting also holds the record for the most runs across both innings of a 100th Test, with 263. Root is second with 258, while Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul-Haq made 215 in his landmark match against India in Bengaluru in 2005, scoring 184 and an unbeaten 31.

Mushfiqur’s aggregate of 159 in Mirpur places him among the most prolific performers in their 100th Test, underlining the veteran’s continued importance to Bangladesh’s batting.