Bangladeshi batsmen Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim were eyeing one of Don Bradman's records before their record breaking partnership came to an end.

New Zealand are firmly on the back foot during the opening test at Wellington's Basin Reserve, as both Shakib and Mushfiqur plundered big centuries on their way into the record books. These are some of their statistical feats:

* The partnership of 359 between Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim was the highest for any wicket by a Bangladeshi pair, surpassing the 312-run partnership between Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes against Pakistan in 2015.

GETTY IMAGES Shakib Al Hasan's cut shot was his main weapon.

* The partnership was the fourth biggest fifth-wicket partership of all-time. Don Bradman and Sid Barnes hold the record for the fifth wicket, of 405 runs in 1946.

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GETTY IMAGES Mushfiqur Rahim shared in the mammoth partnership with Shakib Al Hasan.

* It also became the third biggest partnership for any wicket ever in New Zealand, and the biggest by a foreign batting pair. The top four all took place at the Basin Reserve, with Martin Crowe and Andrew Jones' 467 runs for the third wicket remaining the record holder.

* The 359 run partnership included 51 fours and one six, accounting for 58.5 per cent of their total runs. It also came at a run rate of 4.36, which is astonishing for test cricket.

* Shakib Al Hasan made his highest score in test cricket, ending on 217 to set a new record for Bangladeshi batsmen. His previous best was 144 against Pakistan in 2011, and the previous record for Bangladesh was 206 by Tamim Iqbal. It was Shakib's second century in New Zealand, and fourth overall.

* Shakib's cutting ability was on display throughout his innings. Of his 217 runs, 79 were scored backward of square on the offside, or 36.4 per cent. Of those 79 runs, 60 came through boundaries.

* Shakib scored the ninth-highest total in test cricket at the Basin Reserve, and the fifth-highest by a foreigner. Brendon McCullum's memorable 302 leads the list.

* In scoring 542-7, Bangladesh had their highest-ever score on foreign soil. The previous best was 416 against the West Indies at Gros Islet, St Lucia.

* It was also their fourth biggest score ever, with their largest being 638 against Sri Lanka in 2013.

* Prior to this game, the Basin Reserve was earning a reputation as a bowl first venue. In the past three games, the high score batting first was 221 by New Zealand against Sri Lanka in 2015.

* The game isn't over, but clearly it's tough to choose what to do at the coin toss. In 58 previous tests at the Basin, the team which won the toss won the game only 14 times. They lost 19 times, with 23 draws. Bangladesh will be happy they were asked to bat.

* Mushfiqur Rahim is made his second-highest score in test cricket, with 159. His best was 200 against Sri Lanka in 2013, and he is one of only three Bangladeshi cricketers to score a double century.

* Mushfiqur is one of the 10 shortest batsmen in history, standing at only 1.6m tall. He is only one centimetre shorter than teammate Mominul Haque, who scored 64 in the first innings.