Najmul Hossain Shanto Puts Bangladesh In Control Against New Zealand
Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto hit his third Test century in four innings to put Bangladesh on course for a strong total in the second innings of the first Test against New Zealand in Sylhet on Thursday. The hosts reached 212-3 at stumps on the third day, leading New Zealand by 205 runs, with Najmul unbeaten on 104. Former captain Mushfiqur Rahim made an unbeaten 43 and put on 96 runs in the unbroken fourth-wicket stand with Najmul. Najmul, who scored a century in both innings of Bangladesh's previous Test against Afghanistan in June, also shared 90 runs with Mominul Haque for the third wicket. The left-hander has now become the first Bangladeshi cricketer to score a hundred on his debut as Test captain. He took his hundred, his fourth in Tests, with a single off Ajaz Patel in 191 balls before signing off the day in style with a boundary in the last ball.
