The colour faded long ago. Even the Bangladesh Cricket Board logo has turned blurry. Holding that discoloured Test cap against the handle of his bat, Mushfiqur Rahim posted a photo on social media with the caption reading: "Companion through every rise and fall…"

On Tuesday, Bangladesh's most experienced cricketer is set to take the field for his 99th Test in Sylhet against Ireland. If all goes well, on November 19 in Mirpur, he will become the first Bangladeshi ever to play 100 Tests -- a historic milestone.

On May 26, 2005, at cricket's Mecca, Lord's, Mushfiqur received his Test cap from then-captain Habibul Bashar. Since then, that same cap has been his companion through every high and low. He has preserved it with great care for two decades, wearing it in every single Test he has played.

He has traveled the world playing Tests -- sometimes dazzling with the bat, sometimes sinking into failure. Naturally, over 20 years of dust and grind, the cap's colour has faded. But with that fading, its historical value has only deepened.

Cherishing one's first Test cap is, of course, nothing new. In fact, it has become an integral part of Test cricket's tradition. For players who hold Test cricket close to their hearts, that cap is a deeply emotional symbol.

Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara once said about his own faded cap, "You can buy a new one, but you can't buy the history of the old."

India's Rahul Dravid used to say, "Every stain, every drop of sweat on this cap is a memory of my struggle." It's easy to imagine that Mushfiqur feels the same.

When he received his Test cap in 2005, he had just stepped out of adolescence – boyish innocence still etched on his face. Back then, perhaps no one thought that this young lad would one day play 100 Tests for his country.

At that time, even the idea that any Bangladeshi could play 100 Tests felt unrealistic. And even today, it remains uncertain who might follow in Mushfiqur's footsteps. Maybe Mominul Haque, who has played 73 Tests so far, has a chance -- but he still has a long way to go.

That's why Mushfiqur's Test cap already holds immense historical value in Bangladesh cricket. The story of Bangladesh's Test journey itself seems written within the folds of that cap.

No one values their Test cap more than Australian cricketers. Their iconic headgear is known as the Baggy Green. The legendary Steve Waugh wore his Baggy Green in all 168 Tests of his career. He once said, "This cap doesn't just belong to me -- it carries the legacy of all who came before me."

Another Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, once lost his beloved Baggy Green -- and it left him devastated. During the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, his Baggy Green was lost during luggage transfer at an airport. A heartbroken Ponting said, "It was the most treasured thing in my career. Losing it felt like losing a part of my soul."

Mushfiqur understands that emotion -- his devotion to Test cricket proves it. Even as some Bangladeshi cricketers in this T20-dominated era fail to grasp the essence of the longest format despite their lip service, Mushfiqur's cap can serve as a powerful reminder.

It stands as an inspiration -- that if one truly wishes, they too can dedicate themselves, day after day, year after year, to the highest form of cricket. After all, nothing elevates a cricketer's stature quite like success in a Test match. That's why even after winning his first IPL title, Virat Kohli said, "This is one of the greatest moments of my career, but it's still five steps below Test cricket. That's how much I love and value Test cricket."