Shanto can aim for 200 or 250 – Mushfiqur Rahim

Mushfiqur Rahim and Najmul Hossain Shanto were under no pressure ahead of the Galle Test, despite recent turbulence in Bangladesh cricket. The duo shone against all odds on Day 1, putting on an unbeaten 247-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Rahim, who has been playing Tests only, scored his 12th century at Galle, silencing doubters who questioned his place in the squad. He has been in a lean patch, scoring only 188 runs in his last 13 innings, but his double century in 2013 showed his ability to perform at this venue.

"I think I got a pretty good wicket every time I have played in Galle. I have seen how some other Tests here had a lot of purchase for spinners. We knew that one of us out of the seven batters had to capitalize on the first two days in Galle," Rahim said.

Rahim and Shanto played with positive intent, scoring at 3.35 runs per over. They rotated the strike, picking singles and causing problems for the bowlers. Rahim expects Shanto to continue in the same vein and was impressed by his control factor.

"Shanto has been in good form for a pretty long time. He has a good Test record. He is a good batter. It was nothing special. I was really impressed by his control factor today. He scored a hundred in Kandy some years ago but I thought this was the right approach," Rahim said.

Rahim expects Shanto to aim for a double century, whether it's 200 or 250, which would be a big plus for Bangladesh. The pair will be eyeing to begin from scratch at the start of play on Day 2, and will be in a much better mental space after ending Day 1 on an advantageous position.