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[Saba Sports News] Mushfiqur Rahim came agonizingly close to becoming the first Bangladeshi batter to score four Test double centuries but fell just short, dismissed for 191 in the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.
Despite missing the milestone, his marathon knock put Bangladesh in a strong position in the series opener.
Mushfiqur surpassed Javed Omar’s previous record of 119, set in Peshawar in 2003, and got a lucky break on 150 when Babar Azam dropped him off Salman Agha at leg slip. Already holding the record for the highest individual score by a Bangladeshi and the most double centuries, Mushfiqur was dismissed late on Day 4, edging a Mohammad Ali delivery to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.
Mushfiqur’s innings included 22 boundaries and a six, and his 196-run partnership with Mehidy Hasan Miraz set a new Bangladesh record for the seventh wicket in Test cricket, surpassing the previous record of 145 set by Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyadh against New Zealand in 2010. The pitch in Rawalpindi continued to favor batting, with Bangladesh losing only Liton Das (56) in the two sessions as Mushfiqur anchored the innings.
Earlier, Mushfiqur survived an LBW appeal off Mohammad Ali’s bowling when umpire Richard Kettleborough’s decision was overturned on review, with the ball missing the leg stump. Mushfiqur, then on 59, went on to hit two boundaries off both Khurram Shahzad and Saim Ayub before reaching his century.
Resuming at 316-5, Bangladesh lost Liton early in the day to a Naseem Shah short delivery that caught an edge, giving Rizwan an easy catch. Liton added just four to his overnight score of 52, with eight boundaries and a six. Shahzad (2-81) and Naseem (2-92) were the standout bowlers for Pakistan.
The second and final Test will also be played in Rawalpindi, starting on August 30.