SYLHET: Mushfiqur Rahim scored his 14th Test century to leave Pakistan with a record 437-run chase as they bid to save the second cricket Test and the two-match series in Sylhet on Monday.

The 39-year-old was the last batter dismissed, falling for 137 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 390 in their second innings after resuming the third morning at 110 for three. Bangladesh had been reduced to 272 for six before Mushfiqur added 118 invaluable runs with the last four wickets to set Pakistan a target that will test their temperament, technique and skill to the absolute limit.

Mushfiqur’s 233-ball innings, which comprised 12 fours and a six, demonstrated that there were no demons in the pitch — that batting was not merely possible but, for those with the purpose and discipline to apply themselves, entirely manageable.

After Pakistan removed overnight batter Najmul Hossain Shanto early in the day, Mushfiqur added 123 runs for the fifth wicket with Litton Das, who followed up his first-innings 126 with a fluent 69 from 92 balls studded with five fours.

Mushfiqur then put on 34 runs for the sixth wicket with Mehidy Hasan Miraz (19), 77 for the seventh with Taijul Islam (22), 15 for the eighth with Taskin Ahmed (6), 19 for the ninth with Shoriful Islam (12) and seven for the last wicket with Nahid Rana (0).

Bangladesh consolidated their second innings steadily across all three sessions. They progressed to 203 for four by adding 93 runs in the first session, moved to 307 for six with 104 more in the second, and added a further 83 in the final session.

Mushfiqur, Litton and Taijul batted with such ease and fluency that they made Pakistan’s bowling look pedestrian and short of penetration.

Khurram Shahzad was the standout bowler, following up his first-innings figures of 17-1-81-4 with 20-3-86-4 — the first time he had taken eight wickets in a Test match. Sajid Khan picked up three for 126, while Hasan Ali bowled with heart and effort to finish with two for 83 from 23 overs.

When Pakistan resume their 437-run chase on the fourth morning at 0-0, they will know this is an exercise in saving reputation and pride as much as winning a Test match. Failure would mean an embarrassing fourth consecutive defeat to Bangladesh, the end of their ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 final aspirations, and likely significant consequences for several players’ places ahead of the tours of the West Indies and England, where Pakistan are scheduled to play five Tests between July and September.

Pakistan’s highest fourth-innings chase stands at 377, achieved when they defeated Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2015. On that occasion, Pakistan had slipped to 13 for two before Younis Khan scored 171 not out and a certain Shan Masood scored 125 to complete a memorable seven-wicket victory. Shan is now Pakistan’s captain and has at his disposal experienced batters in Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Salman Agha and Mohammad Rizwan, alongside the talented but inexperienced Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal.

Whether that combination can produce a similarly memorable rescue act — 60 runs beyond anything Pakistan have ever chased — remains the question that will define this series.

Scores in brief:

2nd Test (day three of five, Sylhet). Target: 437 runs

BANGLADESH 278 all out, 77 overs (Litton Das 126, Najmul Hossain Shanto 29, Tanzid Hasan 26, Mushfiqur Rahim 23, Mominul Haque 22; Khurram Shahzad 4-81, Mohammad Abbas 3-45, Hasan Ali 2-49) and 390 all-out (Mushfiqur Rahim 137, Litton Das 69, Mahmudul Hasan Joy 52, Mominul Haque 30, Taijul Islam 22; Khurram Shahzad 4-86, Sajid Khan 3-126, Hasan Ali 2-83)

PAKISTAN 232 all-out, 57.4 overs (Babar Azam 68, Sajid Khan 38, Shan Masood 21, Salman Agha 21, Hasan Ali 18; Nahid Rana 3-60, Taijul Islam 3-67, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 2-21, Taskin Ahmed 2-37) and 0-0