SYDNEY: Bangladesh veteran wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim has created a unique Test cricket record even before making his first appearance in a Test match in Australia.
Rahim entered the Australia Test having already played 103 Test matches, making him the most experienced player to play his first Test in Australia. The milestone adds another remarkable chapter to the veteran’s long international career.
The previous record among the players making their debut Test appearance in Australia belonged to Mominul Haque of Bangladesh, who played 78 Tests before that.
Marvan Atapattu, who once captained the Sri Lanka team, had the previous world record in the same context, playing 73 Tests before making his first Test appearance in Australia in 2004.
It should be noted that Rahim’s feat is not the world record when it comes to the number of Tests played before the debut match in a certain nation.
That distinction belongs to former England fast bowler James Anderson, who had played 175 Tests before making his first Test appearance in Pakistan.
The landmark came about as Bangladesh faced off against Australia in Darwin, in the process of which they had a terrific performance in the Test, making 351/6 on the second day and securing a 153-run lead over Australia in the first innings thanks to Tanzid Hasan’s maiden century.
