Mushfiqur Rahim may have only just gotten engaged on Saturday, but it seems his honeymoon may have already begun. The Bangladesh captain scored 90 from 98 balls in a 154-run partnership with Naeem Islam (84) to take the hosts from 25-3 to 179-4 in the first one-day international against New Zealand at the Shere-e-Bangla National stadium on Tuesday.
With three early wickets down – including star opener Tamim Iqbal and in-form Mominul Haque – and perennial saviour Sakib al Hasan unavailable due to illness, Bangladesh needed someone to rescue the situation, and it was the Tigers’ diminutive skipper who stood tall to turn the innings in the hosts favour.
Mushfiq hit eight fours and two sixes in just his second half-century in two years to take Bangladesh from the brink of collapse to a solid platform, from which they would go on to post a total of 265 – their highest score against the Black Caps in ODIs.
The captain came to the crease in the fourth over after a monumental mix-up with Anamul Haque saw Mominul run-out for a diamond duck. He was on three when Naeem joined him in the middle in the seventh over and they proceeded to steady the trembling ship.
Naeem batted as one might expect in such a situation, protecting his wicket taking 17 balls to get off the mark and 36 balls to reach double-figures, but Mushfiq chose to take the match to the visitors, smacking James Neesham for two boundaries in the eighth over and signalling his intent to keep the runs coming as the two rebuilt the home team’s innings.
Mushfiq got to his fifty in just fifty-three balls, reaching the milestone courtesy a lofted drive over mid-off for four off Nathan McCullum, whom he had earlier welcomed to the attack with one of his two sixes.
His second six – off Grant Elliot in the 32nd over – took him to 82 off 82, but he would manage just one
more boundary before an edge to his counterpart Brendon McCullum off Neesham denied him his second ODI century.
Despite the disappointment, Mushfiq had left his side in a strong position with Naeem well-set on 63. Their 154-run stand was the sixth-highest partnership for any wicket in Bangladesh history and the best since Mushfiq’s own 174-run third wicket partnership with Anamul against the West Indies in December.
A mini-collapse at the end of the Bangladesh innings prevented t
he Tigers from posting an even greater total than the 265 they finished with. The only other notable contribution was a
30-ball 29 from vice-captain Mahmudullah, who may himself have been basking in the afterglow of his skipper’s recent
engagement. Mahmudullah is married to Mushfiq’s fiancée’s sister and will soon be his captain’s brother-in-law.
-With New Age input