Mushfiqur Rahim became the first wicketkeeper batsman in history to slam two Test double tons on Monday when he struck an unbeaten 219 in the second match of Bangladesh‘s ongoing series against Zimbabwe.
The 31-year-old’s double ton put the hosts in total coming in the second Test against the visitors as they posted a mammoth 522-7 before declaring their first innings.
Former Sri Lanka stalwart Kumar Sangakkara had registered seven double Test centuries during his career but only one of them had come in a match where he had also taken up wicketkeeping duties.
As exhausting as the dual role might be for a player at the highest level, Mushfiqur is in no mood to give up his gloves anytime soon to concentrate on his batting.
“I have said repeatedly, keeping helps me a lot. Though it doesn’t mean that I will score centuries or double centuries in every match where I keep but it’s my process, and I am a big believer in process and preparation,” the Bangladesh man was quoted as saying by AFP following the second day’s play in Dhaka.
“It sometimes happens that there is a bit of a problem managing the workload of the two roles, but I think it is a challenge and the one which I always enjoy.”
Mushfiqur is in no mood to give up his keeping gloves any time soon.
The ongoing series against Zimbabwe is the first time Mushfiqur has also kept wicket for Bangladesh in the past four Test series. The right-hander was not given the gloves in the team’s previous series against South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies following his patchy showing against India last year.
Back behind the stumps now for the Tigers, Mushfiqur could not be more delighted with his sterling display.
“I am the kind of person who does not want to sit in the dressing room doing nothing. I want to stay as much as possible on the field and contribute, feel like I am doing something for the team and my country,” he explained.
The wicketkeeper batsman will now be hoping that his mammoth innings can give Bangladesh the desired victory they need in the second Test to avoid a series defeat to the Africans.
Against all odds, the visitors had stunned the hosts in the first Test at Sylhet by 151 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
