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Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Mushfiqur, Shanto end century droughts with gritty tons in Galle
Galle: After a prolonged wait for Test centuries, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim couldn't have wished for better circumstances to turn things around. Perhaps they hoped for friendlier batting surfaces in Sylhet or Chattogram, but those opportunities had come and gone. Instead, under real pressure and on a Galle pitch, the duo rose to the occasion on Tuesday with centuries that were as significant as they were hard-earned, as per ESPNcricinfo. Ahead of the opening Test against Sri Lanka, Shanto had highlighted that Galle tends to offer its best for batters during the first two days, before spin begins to dominate. Yet, Bangladesh found themselves in early trouble at 45/3 on the opening day, with spinner Tharindu Rathnayake and seamer Asitha Fernando striking crucial early blows. What followed was a remarkable recovery. Shanto and Mushfiqur stitched together a resilient 247-run stand for the fourth wicket, both returning unbeaten at stumps, Shanto on 136 and Mushfiqur on 105. For Mushfiqur, this was his 12th Test century and his first in 13 innings since August last year, during which his highest score had been a 40 against Zimbabwe. After the day's play, he reflected on his long-standing association with the Galle International Stadium. He recalled his double century at the same venue twelve years ago, Bangladesh's first-ever in Test cricket. "I think I get a pretty good wicket every time I have played in Galle," he said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. "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. If I am not wrong, myself and (Mohammad) Ashraful bhai batted the whole day here in 2013. It was my plan this time too; I was telling Shanto that we need to bat the whole day," he added. This was also Mushfiqur's fourth Test hundred against Sri Lanka and his second on Sri Lankan soil. He shared that he had spoken with the younger members of the squad about the nature of Sri Lankan pitches. "After Bangladesh, I (most) love playing in Sri Lanka," Mushfiqur said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. "There is always a sporting wicket, whether it is the red or white ball. If you apply your strength here, you can do well - whether you are a batter, quick bowler or spinner. I was telling this to a few of our young players who are playing their first Test in Galle," he added. "I like to play with wind around. I have to adjust when the newer ball turns a bit, or against the older ball. It is really special to play in Galle. I love batting here," he noted. Still, he admitted that this innings had tested him more than most. Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva frequently shuffled the field and instructed his bowlers to experiment with different angles and lengths, keeping Mushfiqur on edge. He spent a tense 23 deliveries in the 90s before finally reaching his century in the 86th over. "These are not easy runs. I took a lot of time in the nineties, as they were not giving me a freebie," Mushfiqur said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. "It shows that they are a tough side to score against. They made smart bowling changes and field placements. I trust my process when I am batting with control. Usually, we see that our opponents send a fielder to the deep after two or three boundaries. Sri Lanka change their fielding according to the conditions. You have to bat patiently against them," he added. Mushfiqur credited smart strike rotation, especially singles, as a key to disrupting Sri Lanka's plans. He also lauded Shanto for his controlled and commanding innings, noting how his younger teammate never gave the bowlers a real opportunity to break through. "I think rotating the strike is important - maybe as much as hitting fours or sixes," Mushfiqur said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. "Rotation of strike causes problems for the bowlers, especially when there's a left-hander and a right-hander (combination) in the middle. It is very important to pick singles as the fielding side have to constantly change their placements. This is why we are always in training so that we remain fit," he added. "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. It is important to play a chanceless innings, when you are mostly in control. It is going to give confidence to the next batters," he noted. Looking ahead, Mushfiqur emphasized the importance of capitalizing on this strong foundation by batting deep into the second day, a chance, he said, that Bangladesh must seize to put themselves in a commanding position. "It is obviously a satisfying effort. Nobody wants to get any less runs after playing for so many years for your country," he said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
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Business Standard
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
What is Virat Kohli's 269? Full list of Kohli's 100s and 200s in Tests
India's batting talisman Virat Kohli on Monday announced his retirement from Test cricket ending the speculation about his future in the longest format ahead of the much-awaited India's tour of England. The 36-year-old Kohli turned up in 123 Tests for India, scoring 9230 runs with 30 hundreds at an average of 46.85. He will only play in ODIs now, having already retired from T20 Internationals last year. Why did Virat Kohli use #269 in his Instagram post while announcing retirement? Kohli was the 269th player to represent India in Test cricket. He used #269 in his instagram post while announcing retirement from Test cricket. "It's been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It's tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I'll carry for life. There's something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever. As I step away from this format, it's not easy — but it feels right. I've given it everything I had, and it's given me back so much more than I could've hoped for. I'm walking away with a heart full of gratitude — for the game, for the people I shared the field with, and for every single person who made me feel seen along the way. I'll always look back at my Test career with a smile. #269, signing off." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Virat Kohli (@ Virat Kohli records: He retired from Test cricket after hitting 30 hundreds and seven double hundreds in Test cricket. His average in Tests is 55.58, with 254 vs Sri Lanka as his highest individual score in the longest format of the game. Kohli Test career stats Virat Kohli hundreds in Test cricket Full list of Virat Kohli's Test Centuries No. Score Opposition Venue Date 1 116 Australia Adelaide Oval, Adelaide 24-Jan-12 2 103 New Zealand M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore 31-Aug-12 3 103 England Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur 13-Dec-12 4 107 Australia M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai 22-Feb-13 5 119 South Africa Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg 18-Dec-13 6 105* New Zealand Basin Reserve, Wellington 14-Feb-14 7 115 Australia Adelaide Oval, Adelaide 09-Dec-14 8 141 Australia Adelaide Oval, Adelaide 09-Dec-14 9 169 Australia Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne 26-Dec-14 10 147 Australia Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 06-Jan-15 11 103 Sri Lanka Galle International Stadium, Galle 12-Aug-15 12 200 West Indies Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound 21-Jul-16 13 211 New Zealand Holkar Stadium, Indore 08-Oct-16 14 167 England ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam 17-Nov-16 15 235 England Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai 08-Dec-16 16 204 Bangladesh Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad 09-Feb-17 17 103* Sri Lanka Galle International Stadium, Galle 26-Jul-17 18 104* Sri Lanka Eden Gardens, Kolkata 16-Nov-17 19 213 Sri Lanka Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur 24-Nov-17 20 243 Sri Lanka Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, Delhi 02-Dec-17 21 153 South Africa SuperSport Park, Centurion 13-Jan-18 22 149 England Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham 01-Aug-18 23 103 England Trent Bridge, Nottingham 18-Aug-18 24 139 West Indies Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot 04-Oct-18 25 123 Australia Perth Stadium, Perth 14-Dec-18 26 254* South Africa Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune 10-Oct-19 27 136 Bangladesh Eden Gardens, Kolkata 22-Nov-19 28 186 Australia Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad 12-Mar-23 29 121 West Indies Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad 21-Jul-23 30 100* Australia Perth Stadium, Perth 24-Nov-24 How many double centuries Virat Kohli hit in Test cricket? Kohli hit seven double centuries, most by any Indians, in Test cricket. Virat Kohli full list of double hundreds in Test cricket 200 283 24 0 4th 1st West Indies North Sound July 2016 211 366 20 0 4th 1st New Zealand Indore October 2016 235 340 25 1 4th 2nd England Mumbai (WS) December 2016 204 246 24 0 4th 1st Bangladesh Hyderabad February 2017 213 267 17 2 4th 2nd Sri Lanka Nagpur November 2017 243 287 25 0 4th 1st Sri Lanka Delhi December 2017 254* 336 33 2 4th 1st South Africa Pune October 2019 Important key facts about Virat Kohli's cricket career? When did Virat Kohli make his T20 International debut? Kohli made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe on June 12, 2010 at the Harare Sports Club. When did Kohli play his last T20 International match? His last T20I was against South Africa on June 29, 2024 at Kensington Oval. When did Virat Kohli make his Test debut? Kohli debuted in Test cricket against the West Indies on June 20, 2011 at Sabina Park. When was his most recent Test appearance? His last Test was played against Australia on January 3, 2025 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. What was the date and venue of Kohli's ODI debut? He made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka on August 18, 2008 at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. When did he last feature in an ODI match? His last ODI appearance was against New Zealand on March 9, 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. When did Virat Kohli make his IPL debut? Kohli made his IPL debut on April 18, 2008 for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Kolkata Knight Riders at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. When did Kohli debut in the Champions League (CL) T20? His CL T20 debut came against Cape Cobras on October 8, 2009 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. He played his final CL T20 match against Mumbai Indians on October 9, 2011 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
