Mushfiqur Rahim ended a nationwide wait on Thursday morning, November 20, by scoring a century in his 100th Test, becoming the first Bangladeshi player to reach the milestone and only the 11th cricketer worldwide to do so. The landmark came at Mirpur in the second Test against Ireland, where he pushed a single off the third ball of the day’s second over to complete the feat after carrying 99 overnight.

The moment capped nearly 17 hours of suspense. Mushfiqur closed Wednesday on 99 after 187 balls, choosing caution over risk late in the day and leaving millions of fans waiting for one more run.

His hundred adds a new chapter to a career already rich with milestones. Mushfiqur entered the match as Bangladesh’s leading Test run-scorer, with 6,351 runs in 182 innings, including 12 centuries and 27 fifties. Yet history shows that his landmark appearances had rarely gone well. His debut Test at Lord’s, his 50th Test, and his 75th Test all ended without notable scores.

His first Test appearance, at Lord’s 20 years ago, produced only 22 runs across two innings. Batting at No. 6 in the first innings, he made 19 off 56 balls before falling to Matthew Hoggard. He added just 3 in the second innings, dismissed by Andrew Flintoff.

That pattern shifted decisively at Mirpur. Mushfiqur’s century in his 100th Test not only rewrites his own statistical story but also secures a historic first for Bangladesh cricket, placing his name firmly in the sport’s global record books.