Najmul Hossain Shanto has etched his name in Bangladesh’s cricket history books by becoming the country’s first Test captain to register centuries in both innings of a match. Leading from the front in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle, Shanto first struck a superb 148 in the first innings and followed it up with a resolute unbeaten 125 in the second. In doing so, he also broke the record for the most runs in a single Test match by a Bangladesh captain, surpassing Mushfiqur Rahim’s previous mark of 200 runs set against the same opposition at the same venue back in 2013. Shanto now holds the top spot with 273 runs in this match.
Most runs in a Test match by a Bangladesh captain
273 – Najmul Hossain Shanto* (vs SL), Galle 2025200 – Mushfiqur Rahim (vs SL), Galle 2013187 – Shakib Al Hasan (vs NZ), Hamilton 2010172 – Mushfiqur Rahim (vs NZ), Wellington 2017168 – Mahmudullah (vs NZ), Hamilton 2019
His commanding knock helped Bangladesh declare their second innings at 285/6, after posting 495 in the first innings. Sri Lanka managed 485 in reply but face an uphill task to force a result on the final day as the Galle pitch has offered little help to the bowlers so far.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?Najmul’s twin centuries have come at a crucial time, with questions swirling around his captaincy and the team’s consistency overseas. His calm approach and big runs under pressure have boosted the dressing room morale and given Bangladesh fans plenty to cheer about.With veteran Angelo Mathews playing his final Test, Sri Lanka will hope to end on a high, though a draw remains the most likely outcome.
