Mushfiqur Rahim scored the highest individual score by a Bangladesh batsman in Pakistan to help his team take the lead in the first Test in Rawalpindi on Saturday.

The 37-year-old remained unbeaten on 173 in his 11th Test century, defying Pakistan’s pace attack as Bangladesh reached 495-6 at tea. The visitors are now 47 points clear of Pakistan’s first innings total of 448-6 and have an outside chance of recording their first win against Pakistan. Bangladesh have lost 12 of 13 Tests against Pakistan, with one draw. Mushfiqur surpassed the previous highest individual score of 119 by Javed Omar, scored in Peshawar in 2003, and was lucky to have a life left on 150 when Babar Azam dropped him at Salman Agha’s leg slip.

Mushfiqur has so far hit 20 boundaries and a sixer in a marathon of eight hours and ten minutes, setting a Bangladeshi record of 163 for the unbroken seventh wicket with Miraz in all of Test cricket. The previous record of 145 was set by Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah Riyadh against New Zealand in Hamilton in 2010.

The pitch in Rawalpindi continued to support the batting as Bangladesh lost only Liton Das (56) in the two sessions with Mushfiqur anchoring the batting. He added 114 for the sixth wicket with Liton taking Bangladesh up.

Before Liton’s dismissal, Pakistan thought they had beaten Mushfiqur leg-fore by pace bowler Mohammad Ali, but umpire Richard Kettleborough’s verdict was overturned on review when replay showed the ball had missed the leg stump. Mushfiqur, then on 59, hit two boundaries off Khurram Shahzad and Saim Ayub before reaching the three-figure mark. With the score at 316-5, Bangladesh lost Liton in the ninth over of the day when Naseem Shah’s short delivery hit an edge and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan took an easy catch. Liton added just four to his overnight score of 52 by hitting eight boundaries and a sixer. For Pakistan, Shahzad (2-81) and Naseem (2-92) were the best bowlers.

The second and final test will also be played in Rawalpindi from August 30th.