When Rahmat Shah became the first player from Afghanistan to score a century in Test cricket on Thursday, September 5, it was more the realisation of an expectation than a pleasant surprise.

Coming in to bat with Afghanistan at 12-1, Rahmat steered Afghanistan past the 200-run mark with his 187-ball 102 against Bangladesh in Chattogram. It was a terrific effort from the Afghanistan No.3, who not only scripted history with his knock, but also put his side in an assertive position against a World-Test-Championship side.

“They were bowling well, so it was my plan to play off the front foot,” said Rahmat after the day’s play. “They had a good field set up for me. I was forced to use the crease as well, as there wasn’t a lot of run-scoring opportunities. We know they are good spinners, especially Shakib Al Hasan. Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam. We have a mindset [to tackle] the fast bowlers, but they have spinners.”

Congratulations to @RahmatShah_08 who became the first Afghan player to score a century in Test Cricket. Shah hit 10 fours and 2 sixes in his innings. #AFGvBAN pic.twitter.com/w2nJH3TU1Y

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 5, 2019

The numbers

When Afghanistan lost three wickets for 77 runs to Bangladesh’s firing spin attack, Rahmat did what he does best: he soaked up the pressure, anchored their innings and played a patient knock to steady the ship.

He had assumed a similar role in their World Cup 2019 campaign. While Afghanistan finished at the bottom of the table with no win against their name, Rahmat was their leading run-scorer, with 254 runs in nine innings, including one fifty, two 40s and two 30s. He did so in a team that had seen their captain changed right before the tournament, their star player sent home in questionable circumstances, and with his own batting position being consistently inconsistent.

While Afghanistan are taking baby steps in Test cricket, they have played a lot of first-class cricket over the years. They won the Intercontinental Cup for Associate nations in consecutive editions in 2010/11 and 2015/17. As expected, Rahmat has been one of their best batsmen in the competition, with 601 runs in 11 innings, including two centuries and four fifties. He also boasts Afghanistan’s highest batting average in the tournament, among players with more than 220 runs.

While Rahmat has all the ingredients to make it big in Test cricket, there are a few areas of weaknesses he can improve on. He still looks a bit jittery before (and after) a major milestone, and needs to remain relaxed in those situations.

With Afghanistan cricket at a crucial juncture, they need strong and composed characters like Rahmat more than ever right now. Can he be the player to pioneer their Test revolution? The signs look positive so far.