Published : 08 May 2026, 11:29 PM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:42 PM
With the 10th delivery of his innings, Najmul Hossain Shanto took a step forward and took the delivery from Mohammad Abbas on the half-volley, driving it through to the boundary without giving the fielder any chance. A short while later, he hit Shaheen Shah Afridi for four with another on-drive.
From that point on, the Bangladesh captain seemed in top form. It was clear that he was picking his spots and finding his rhythm. It was a sign of another mammoth innings from the skipper. He fulfilled that promise by posting a ton against Pakistan in the first Test in Mirpur.
Before his dismissal, Shanto led from the front, scoring 101 off 130 deliveries, with 12 fours and one six.
In his 40 Test matches, Shanto has crossed the 50-run mark a total of 14 times. In nine of those innings, he would go on to reach his century. Over the last five Test matches, he has posted 100 runs four times.
Three Bangladeshi players have more Test centuries than him. However, he now tops a different list, holding the record for the most Test centuries as a Bangladesh captain.
This is his fifth century in 30 innings as captain, surpassing Mushfiqur Rahim (4 in 61 innings) and Mominul Haque (3 in 31 innings).
But it wasn’t just about the record or the milestones. Shanto’s innings also showcased a world-class performance, putting on a top-quality innings in the face of a sharp bowling attack and other circumstances.
Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl on a greenish wicket, quickly taking the scalps of the Bangladesh openers with the new ball.
As the pressure seemed to mount, Shanto brought the relief. He steadied the team, giving courage and a chance to breathe for the batsmen struggling to face pacers on a quick-friendly pitch.
Started with those two on-drives, he pulled out a fantastic array of drives, cuts, and pull shots to disrupt the pacer’s plans, forcing them to deviate. Mominul Haque, at the other end, reaped the benefits as well.
He started with positivity and hunger, but did not make any mistakes in shot selection. When the visitors switched to spin, he counter-attacked, launching Salman Agha for a six. His authority with the bat was noticeable throughout the innings as he brought off his fifty in 71 balls with a great pull shot off Hasan Ali.
Even after that, he played some eye-catching cricket. Close to the 100-mark, he struck a full-length ball magnificently, lofting it over long on for another six off Abbas
He brought up his century with a magnificent cover drive a short while later, again off Abbas.
The celebrations were, by now, familiar. A leap into the air, a raise of the bat, touching his head to the ground to thank the Almighty, and a pat on the back from his batting partner.
Together, Shanto and Mominul put up 170 runs for the third wicket, the highest Bangladesh has scored against Pakistan.
It brought to mind a previous third wicket partnership between the two – the 242-run extravaganza against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2021.
However, the celebrations did not last too long. Soon after crossing the Mark, Shanto was a little late with the bat and was caught before the stumps. Mominul fell soon after at 91.
In the press conference the day before the Test, Shanto said the team often discussed scoring 100-150-200 runs in the format. The way he structured his innings, there was hope for an even more titanic innings.
Though he could not climb higher on the day, the display was still a brilliant example of the fabled captain’s knock.
