Mushfiqur’s Heartbreak at 191 Puts Pakistan on the Backfoot in Rawalpindi

Mushfiqur Rahim came agonizingly close to a double century, becoming only the second Bangladesh batter in history to be dismissed in the 190s, as Pakistan found themselves on the defensive in the first Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Resuming on 55, Mushfiqur’s marathon knock of 191 anchored Bangladesh’s formidable first-innings total of 565, their third-highest score outside of home soil. Despite his dismissal, Bangladesh secured a 117-run lead over Pakistan, who finished the day at 23 for one, with Abdullah Shafique and captain Shan Masood unbeaten on 12 and nine, respectively.

Mushfiqur’s innings, which spanned eight hours and 42 minutes, included 22 fours and a six off 341 deliveries. His heroic effort came to an end when he was caught behind off Mohammad Ali, who finished with two wickets for 88 runs.

In a significant seventh-wicket stand, Mushfiqur partnered with Mehidy Hasan Miraz to set a new record for the highest partnership against Pakistan, adding 196 runs and surpassing a 48-year-old milestone. Mehidy’s resilient knock of 77 off 179 balls was eventually ended by Shaheen Shah Afridi, who had earlier celebrated the birth of his first child and concluded with figures of two for 88.

Pakistan’s bowlers toiled on a challenging day, with Naseem Shah emerging as the pick of the lot with three wickets for 93 runs. Despite early success with the dismissal of Litton Das, Pakistan struggled to break the Mushfiqur-Mehidy partnership until deep into the day.

As Pakistan face a daunting task on the final day, their hopes will rest on avoiding an early collapse and securing a draw to salvage the Test.

Scores in brief (Day 4 of 5):

• Pakistan (1st innings): 448-6d (Mohammad Rizwan 171 not out, Saud Shakeel 141, Saim Ayub 56, Shaheen Shah Afridi 29 not out; Hasan Mahmud 2-70, Shoriful Islam 2-77) and 23-1
• Bangladesh (1st innings): 565 all-out, 167.3 overs (Mushfiqur Rahim 191, Shadman Islam 93, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 77, Litton Das 56, Mominul Haque 50; Naseem Shah 3-93, Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-88, Mohammad Ali 2-88, Khurram Shahzad 2-90)