Shanto and Mushfiqur came together when Bangladesh were tottering at 3-45 and combined for the highest fourth-wicket partnership for Bangladesh in Tests against Sri Lanka, eclipsing the 180-run alliance between Litton Das and Mominul Haque in 2018.
It ruined a strong start for Sri Lanka, as offspinner Tharindu Ratnayake took two early wickets in his Test debut.
Captain Shanto led from the front, dispatching anything remotely loose as he brought up his seventh Test century and remained unbeaten on 136. It was innings laced with 14 crisply timed boundaries and a six, showing the full face of the blade more often than not.
At the other end, the veteran Mushfiqur finally found his form after going 13 straight innings without a fifty. He had a narrow escape when a miscued pull on 25 was grassed at mid-wicket and the Sri Lankans paid dearly. By stumps, Mushfiqur was unbeaten on 105, having carved out his 12th Test ton with just five boundaries.
"I was coming into this game after a lean patch. When you have a long career like me that can happen," Mushfiqur said. "Once I had got a start I tried to cash in and was very happy to end up with a hundred."
The toss had gone Bangladesh's way and although the top order failed, the fourth-wicket pair batted through both the post-lunch and post-tea sessions without offering a sniff.
Sri Lanka handed out two test caps in the first match of the 2025-2027 World Test Championship cycle — 31-year-old opener Lahiru Udara and Ratnayake, the ambidextrous spinner.
"Everyone knew I will be soon turning 30 and that's not the kind of age the selectors look to hand someone his Test debut," Ratnayake said. "I was very happy to get two wickets in the first session but after lunch it was tough work as the wicket had become flat and it was easy for batting."
