Veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim has shown his full support for captain Najmul Hossain Shanto to reach a maiden double century, after the pair guided Bangladesh to a position of dominance on Day 1 of the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Tuesday.
Shanto remained unbeaten on 136 and Mushfiqur on 105 as Bangladesh reached 292 for 3 at stumps, recovering from an early collapse through a marathon unbroken 247-run partnership.
“Since Shanto doesn’t have a double hundred in Test matches, why not aim for one now?” Mushfiqur said after the day's play.
“Whether it's 200 or 250 — whatever he can manage — it will be a big plus for us.”
Shanto’s sixth Test hundred — and second against Sri Lanka — came off 202 balls and was marked by composure and control, especially after the visitors had slumped to 45 for 3 in the morning session.
Mushfiqur, who struck his 12th Test ton and fourth against Sri Lanka, praised Shanto’s temperament and shot selection throughout the day.
“He had a big knock in Sri Lanka earlier as well. But I would say this one will be right up there. The way he controlled the entire innings without giving away any chances — I think this will be a very important innings for the batters to come.”
Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat, but suffered early blows. Anamul Haque Bijoy fell for a duck, while debutant Tharindu Rathnayake dismissed both Shadman Islam (14) and Mominul Haque (29) in quick succession.
From there, it was the Shanto-Mushfiqur show as the duo steadied the innings, accelerated across the afternoon and evening sessions, and ensured Bangladesh ended the day firmly on top.
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