Mushfiqur hits century in 100th Test

Dhaka, 20 Nov- Mushfiqur Rahim hit a century in his 100th match, becoming the 11th cricketer in history to reach the rare milestone. 

The watershed moment, eagerly awaited by the nation, came on Day 2 of the second and final cricket Test against Ireland at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. 

Mushfiqur, who resumed the day on 99 after being stranded overnight, reached the milestone after facing his eighth ball of the morning - the ninth ball of the day.

He also joined an exclusive list that included just two other batters--Colin Cowdrey (England) and Javed Miandad (Pakistan), who had scored hundreds while reaching 100 caps for their respective countries.

Cowdrey inaugurated the club by hitting a century against Australia in his 100th Test in 1968. 21 years later, Javed Miandad became the second one to accompany him in the list when he hit a century against archrivals India in 1989 at Lahore.

West Indies great and former Bangladesh coach Gordon Greenidge, England's Alec Stewart, Pakistan's another great Inzamam-ul-Haq, Australia's Ricky Ponting, South Africa's Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla, England's Joe Root and Australia's David Warner graced the list later. 

Joe Root and David Warner, the last two batters of the list, went on to score a double century eventually, with Root making 218 in the Chennai Test against India while Warner hit exactly 200 against South Africa in Melbourne.

Ponting is the only batter to hit centuries in both innings of his 100th Test, a feat he achieved against South Africa in Sydney in 2006.

Mushfiqur went through a nervy start on the morning of Day 2 as left-arm spinner Matthew Humphrey troubled him repeatedly in the first over. 

However, the breakthrough moment came in the third ball of the second over when he flicked a length delivery off pacer Jordan Neill for single to reach his 13th Test century from 195 balls.

The rare feat also made him the join-highest centurion for Bangladesh alongside Mominul Haque.

He celebrated in his customary style, performing Sajdah before embracing his batting partner Liton Das. The little crowd in the stadium erupted in applause, echoed by cheers from the dressing room, marking a historic moment for Bangladesh cricket.BSS