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Mushfiqur Rahim stays unbeaten on 99 as Bangladesh in control on day 1 of Ireland Test

Akshita Patel

Mushfiqur Rahim shines on 100th Test [Source: @BCBtigers/X.com]Mushfiqur Rahim shines on 100th Test [Source: @BCBtigers/X.com]

Bangladesh ended day 1 of the second Test against Ireland in a strong position, reaching 292/4 at stumps in Dhaka. It had been a long day of building patiently, disciplined cricket after some early signs of trouble.

Once again, the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim performed the anchor role with perfection, finishing unbeaten on 99.

Bangladesh openers waste steady starts 

Bangladesh won the toss and chose to bat on a surface that looked good for long innings. Openers Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Shadman Islam began positively, adding 52 for the first wicket. 

Shadman looked fluent, striking six boundaries in his 35 before Andy McBrine trapped him lbw. Joy followed soon after for 34, falling to a sharp catch by the substitute fielder Barry McCarthy off McBrine’s bowling.

At 83/2, Bangladesh were steady but not dominating. The moment they tried to push ahead, they slipped again. 

Captain Najmul Shanto survived just 11 balls before being bowled for 8, again by McBrine, who was clearly in rhythm early in the morning.

The responsibility then fell on senior pro Mominul Haque, and he absorbed the pressure brilliantly. He stitched an important partnership with Mushfiqur Rahim, adding 107 runs that shifted the control back to Bangladesh.

Mushfiqur Rahim stands tall on his 100th Test 

Mominul was solid in defence and calm in approach, picking up singles and rotating strike regularly. His 63 from 128 balls was exactly what Bangladesh needed in the middle session.

However, just when the partnership looked set to grow bigger, McBrine struck again, his fourth wicket of the day, removing Mominul, caught behind, to give Ireland some relief.

But Mushfiqur stood firm. He played the kind of determined Test innings on his 100th game in the format. He left well outside off, punished anything too full, and respected the good balls. 

Rahim’s strike rate stayed over 50, but nothing felt rushed. With every over, he looked more comfortable. Litton Das joined him and played the perfect supporting role, adding an unbeaten 90-run stand for the fifth wicket. 

Litton, on 47*, looked set for a big score too, timing the ball calmly while allowing Mushfiqur Rahum to play his natural game. 

Ireland bowled with heart, especially McBrine, who delivered 26 overs for four wickets. But they struggled to find breakthroughs once the ball got older, and Bangladesh took full advantage.

As Day 1 ends, Bangladesh hold the upper hand. With Mushfiqur one run away from a hundred and plenty of batting still to come, they’ll look to push the score beyond 400 on Day 2 and put Ireland under real pressure.