Shanto, Mushi’s hundreds put Bangladesh in command at Galle Test

Bangladesh turned the tide on the opening day of Galle Test against Sri Lanka, thanks to brilliant centuries from Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim.

After a shaky start, the visitors ended the day in a dominant position, driven by a record-setting partnership.

Bangladesh recovered from early trouble to finish Day 1 of Galle Test strongly at 292 for 3, riding on unbeaten centuries from skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and veteran Mushfiqur Rahim.

The day began in Sri Lanka’s favour, with early wickets putting Bangladesh on the back foot. However, a resilient and composed partnership between Shanto and Mushfiqur flipped the script completely.

Shanto, returning to form after a 1.5-year wait, brought up his sixth Test century in commanding fashion. At the other end, Mushfiqur ended a nine-month dry spell by reaching his 12th hundred in Tests.

By the end of the day’s 90 overs, Shanto was unbeaten on 136 and Mushfiqur on 105, having added a mammoth 247 runs for fourth wicket. The stand is now Bangladesh’s second-highest for fourth wicket and their sixth-highest partnership overall in Test history.

Their composed and technically sound batting helped Bangladesh wrest control of the match after a tricky morning session, setting the stage for a potential big total in the first innings.