Shanto is in the form of his life right now – Mominul Haque

Bangladesh batter Mominul Haque said on Friday that skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto is enjoying the form of his life and described his Test century on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan as one of his best innings. Shanto's 101, Mominul's 91 and the pair's 170-run stand off 257 balls for the third wicket helped the hosts end the opening day on a strong 301/4.

Shanto now has nine Test hundreds from 73 innings – the joint-fastest for Bangladesh alongside Mominul Haque, though Mominul had more fifties in that span. Shanto's conversion rate also became a talking point, with nine hundreds and five fifties giving him a remarkable conversion rate of 64.28 per cent. This time, the Bangladesh captain chose to counterattack to unsettle Pakistan and, in the process, reached the three-figure mark.

"The way Shanto counterattacked pushed them far behind. On wickets like this, when someone comes in and counterattacks, the bowlers become unsettled. Full credit has to go to Shanto for that," Mominul told reporters after the game.

"When I first started playing Test cricket for Bangladesh, I used to enjoy batting most from the non-striker's end when Tamim [Iqbal] bhai was batting. Even in very tough conditions in New Zealand or Australia, he would bat brilliantly. To me, this innings from Shanto is one of the best I've seen from him. The way he dominated from the start impressed me a lot.

"He's in outstanding form. If you look at his last few innings – against Sri Lanka, Ireland, New Zealand – he scored centuries. Even under a lot of pressure, he made hundreds. Today as well, he scored a century in very difficult conditions. He's in the best form of his life right now."

Mominul also reserved special praise for his captain's tactical acumen and conversion rate.

"As for walking down the pitch, that was part of his mindset and plan against Abbas. It becomes difficult if you stay rooted in one spot because the ball is moving both ways. So he took that approach to stop the bowlers from settling down.

"It's a good thing because someone has to take things to another level. Seeing him, maybe others in the future will improve too. He has the desire and hunger to perform for the team and to become one of the world's best. When you have that ambition and execute properly, these things happen," said Mominul.

"To maintain this rhythm, it's very important to stay in the same mindset. One shouldn't become overconfident, nor should they get discouraged. If the specific batting pattern can be maintained, it's possible to score runs regularly," he added.

Regarding his own batting, Mominul said he is trying to figure out why he has been unable to convert starts into centuries despite coming close on multiple occasions in recent times. After missing out on a 14th Test hundred for the third time in four innings, he joked that his biggest worry was facing his wife at home.

"I don't feel frustrated. I had not felt frustrated for so long, but today I felt a slight frustration. That too because of the fear my wife might scold me," Mominul said with a smile.

Mominul was nine runs short of his 14th hundred when he was trapped lbw by Noman Ali for 91, having registered three 80-plus scores in his last four Tests without converting any into a century.

"The ball suddenly stayed low. I saw there was no pressure of runs. My target was to just play normal cricket for that final hour. They were bowling well and I could not play the way I had expected," he said.

When pressed on his conversion rate, Mominul was philosophical.

"Why would I not want centuries? Everyone wants centuries. I try to play the way I enjoy Test batting. Without thinking too much, I try to stay in the mainstream. If I can maintain my plan or routine, then there is always a chance of scoring runs," he said, adding that there is a possibility of a mental block.

"It could be mental [that I am failing to score hundred despite passing the fifties]. I still have not figured it out, Inshallah I will. When I go in to bat, I do not think about making 100, rather I think about batting at least five sessions. If you bat five sessions, then 100-150 comes naturally. Maybe I need to be a bit stricter in that area," he admitted.

To address those mental challenges, Mominul revealed that he stays in regular contact with former Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha, even spending time in Sydney in December 2025 playing club cricket for Bankstown District Cricket Club under his guidance.

"Yes, we are in regular communication. If I face any trouble, we talk," he said.