Pakistan national cricket team batsman and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan was the shining light for the team with the bat in the ongoing Test match against the Bangladesh national cricket team. The first match of the two-match series between the teams is being held at the Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.
Mohammad Rizwan justified his choice over Sarfaraz Ahmed as he played a stupendous knock for his team when it mattered the most. The wicket-keeper batsman bailed the team out of trouble after they lost early wickets and ensured that the team reached the competitive total on the board.
Rizwan came out to bat after the fall of Saim Ayub and at a time when the game could have gone away from Pakistan. However, the right-hander made sure to absorb all the pressure and led his team back into the game, after being rocked early on with wickets.
Mohammad Rizwan, along with Saud Shakeel (141), added 240 runs for the fifth wicket and helped the team post a big total on the board. He scored a fantastic Test century and silenced all the criticisms that were there about his place in the Pakistan Test team.
Mohammad Rizwan finished with an unbeaten innings of 171 runs off 239 balls. He hit 11 fours and sixes in his innings, batting at a strike rate of around 73. His innings ensured Pakistan went past the 400-run mark as the hosts finished their first innings on 448/6.
As Rizwan walked back to the dressing room, he also showed his inner swagger. The right-hander stylishly threw his bat at Babar Azam, who came down to applaud him for his innings. The video of the incident went viral on the internet and many were left in awe of his style.
Mohammad Rizwan shows the arrogance within him as he throws his bat at Babar Azam
Here is the video:
I love you ♥️ pic.twitter.com/NU9bB7yzsF
– Zahra🇵🇰 (@itsZahra2_0) August 22, 2024
After Rizwan walked back and scored an unbeaten 171 runs, captain Shan Masood faced a lot of criticism for not letting him score a double ton. However, vice-captain Saud Shakeel later revealed that the batsman had already been informed that the match would be declared an hour before the game was due to end.
With his innings, he also recorded the third-highest score by a Pakistani wicket-keeper in Test cricket. He surpassed Kamran Akmal’s scores of 158* and 154, along with Rashid Latif’s 150, to grab the third spot on the list. With the way he has been going and with Pakistan set to play quite a few Tests this year, it won’t be a surprise if he ends up hitting a double ton.
Rizwan, after his knock, has been playing equally well with the gloves behind the stumps. He took a stunner to remove Zakir Hassan (12) and dived in. Bangladesh lost two wickets but have been batting well since then. The way things are unfolding, it promises to be an exciting end to the game.
