Dhaka, May 8 -- With the 10th delivery of his innings, Najmul Hossain Shanto took a step forward and took the delivery from Mohammad Abbas on the half-volley, driving it through to the boundary without giving the fielder any chance. A short while later, he hit Shaheen Shah Afridi for four with another on-drive.

From that point on, the Bangladesh captain seemed in top form. It was clear that he was picking his spots and finding his rhythm. It was a sign of another mammoth innings from the skipper. He fulfilled that promise by posting a ton against Pakistan in the first Test in Mirpur.

Before his dismissal, Shanto led from the front, scoring 101 off 130 deliveries, with 12 fours and one six.

In his 40 Test matches, Shanto has crossed the...