A heated verbal spat between Shan Masood and Mushfiqur Rahim intensified the contest in the second Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan at Sylhet on Monday, as the hosts edged nearer to the possibility of wrapping up the series with a clean sweep. The flare-up occurred before the commencement of the 79th over of Bangladesh’s second innings on Day 3 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan captain Shan Masood was spotted talking with the officials and his teammates as preparations continued for the restart. Shortly afterward, Mushfiqur Rahim—already well set in his innings—appeared to tell the Pakistan skipper to “get on with the game,” based on stump microphone audio.
Rahim’s remark seemed to irk Masood, and the pair soon found themselves in a heated exchange in the middle. The moment also stirred the crowd at Sylhet during a tense stretch of the match, adding extra pressure to the already tight phase of play.
On the field, Rahim delivered a major milestone as he struck his 14th Test century on Day 3. With that knock, he became Bangladesh’s leading century-maker in Test cricket, moving past Mominul Haque. Playing his 102nd Test, Rahim reached three figures when he struck a boundary off the third ball of the 85th over, bowled by Mohammad Abbas.
From the dressing room, his teammates rose to applaud in a standing ovation, while the crowd also reacted loudly to the landmark. Rahim went on to finish with 137 runs in the second innings and, during his knock, he reached 16,000 international runs across formats—becoming the first Bangladesh batter to do so. He currently stands on 16,058 international runs.
The 39-year-old wicketkeeper-batter also remains Bangladesh’s top run-scorer in Test cricket, with 6,763 runs to his name. His innings in Sylhet featured 12 fours and one six.
With Bangladesh pushing forward, the hosts have posted a target of 437 runs for Pakistan in the series-deciding second Test. Bangladesh will be looking to complete a 2-0 sweep after winning the opening match in Dhaka by 104 runs.
