Mohammad Rizwan overtakes Jos Buttler and Rishabh Pant; Sets new WTC record
Published - 24 Aug 2024, 12:08 PM | Updated - 25 Aug 2024, 11:17 AM
Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan delivered an exceptional batting performance during the first Test match against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Mohammad Rizwan surpassed Jos Buttler and Rishabh Pant to set a new record in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) history.
Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto opted to bat first in the series opener. The home team collapsed to 16/3 on the first day of the ongoing match.
However, Saim Ayub and Saud Shakeel rescued the team with a 98-run stand for the fourth wicket. Saim was dismissed after scoring 56 runs off 98 balls.
Mohammad Rizwan Breaks Jos Buttler's Record During 1st Test
Mohammad Rizwan walked to bat when the Pakistan team score was 114/4. The right-handed batter adopted an aggressive approach against the Bangladesh bowlers.
He reached his third Test century during Pakistan's first innings. It is worth noting that Rizwan scored his first century after two years.
Rizwan became the fifth Pakistan batter to score 150 or more in Test matches. Imtiaz Ahmed, Taslim Arif, Rashid Latif, and Kamran Akmal achieved this in the past.
He scored an unbeaten 171 runs off 239 balls, including 11 boundaries and three sixes. Pakistan declared their first innings at 448/6.
Mohammad Rizwan overtook England's Jos Buttler and India’s Rishabh Pant in the record books.
Rizwan registered the highest score by a designated wicketkeeping batter in World Test Championship history. Buttler had scored 152 against Pakistan in 2020, and Pant is in the next place with 146 runs.
Here are the highest scores by wicketkeepers in WTC history:
Player | Team | Opponent | Year | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan | Bangladesh | 2024 | 171* |
Jos Buttler | England | Pakistan | 2020 | 152 |
Rishabh Pant | India | England | 2022 | 146 |
Quinton de Kock | South Africa | West Indies | 2021 | 141* |
Litton Das | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka | 2022 | 141 |
Saud Shakeel Smashed Century in Pakistan's First Innings vs Bangladesh
Rizwan added a 240-run partnership with vice-captain Saud Shakeel for the fifth wicket. Shakeel scored 141 off 261 balls with the help of nine boundaries.
Shoriful Islam and Hasan Mahmud took two wickets each for Bangladesh. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan took one wicket apiece in the match.
Bangladesh scored 316 runs for the loss of five wickets at Stumps on Day 3. Shadman Islam scored 93 runs off 183 balls before being dismissed by Mohammad Ali.
Wicketkeeper-batter Litton was dismissed on the fourth day's play after scoring 56 runs off 78 balls, including seven boundaries and one six.
Pakistan chose not to include a spinner in the first Test. Assistant coach Azhar Mahmood explained that the grassy pitch was expected to benefit seamers.
However, Azhar Mahmood said that three hours of sunlight before the game dried out the pitch faster than anticipated, which made it play differently.