Front Page

As Sweet As Win

Tamim, Kayes topple cricket records as Bangladesh hold Pakistan to a fabulous draw
KEEP ON ROLLIN': Tamim Iqbal launched seven sixes on his way to 206, the highest Test score by a Bangladeshi, and also set a record partnership with Imrul Kayes for the opening stand as the Tigers drew a Test against Pakistan for the first time ever, at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna yesterday. PHOTO: Firoz Ahmed

If you are a Bangladesh cricket fan, keep on dreaming with a posse of Tigers for whom nothing is impossible. They now are the bad boys turned dancehall cutpurses, captivating the world audience with their new brand of cricket.

This is also a set of Tigers that hardly chose to sit on the laurels of an immediate past success, but looked determined to break one barrier after another.

On Saturday, they floored a few records associated with world's best batsmen and teams as well to register their maiden draw in Test against Pakistan after eight defeats. And those, who were in attendance at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna for five dramatic days, will cherish the second of the two double-centuries -- an imperious 206 by Tamim Iqbal and an equally important 150 by Imrul Kayes, for a long, long time.

Tamim's first double-century after skipper Mushfiqur Rahim's 200 at Galle against Sri Lanka in yet another creditable drawn encounter three years ago, was the cornerstone in Bangladesh's spectacular comeback story in Khulna, where the home side were up against a massive task of saving the match after Pakistan took a very impressive 296-run first innings lead in the fourth morning.

If Tamim was the hero then Imrul was the best supporting actor with a magnificent career-best 150. The pair not only surprised Pakistan when they batted out the whole two sessions on the fourth day and produced a never-seen-before 273 runs for the undefeated first wicket, but also safely negotiated the first hour of the fifth morning before rain stopped  play at 11.30am, forcing an early lunch.

By that time they took the total to 312, a world record opening partnership in the second innings, beating England's Colin Cowdrey and Geoff Pullar's 290 against South Africa in 1960.

Imrul, who defied the pain barrier of standing behind the wicket for 120 odd overs in place of injured Mushfiqur and then straightway opened the innings with Tamim, pushed his overnight 132 to 150 off 240 balls. The southpaw struck 16 fours and three sixes in his seven-hour odyssey at the wicket before holing out in the deep off Zulfiqar Babar.

Tamim's master-class 278-ball 206 that featured 17 fours and four sixes was something Mushfiqur described as 'a privilege to watch' and according to Pakistan captain Misbahul Haq 'a counter attack that took the game away from their firm grip' that won the left-hander the player-of-the-match award ahead of Mohammad Hafeez's brilliant 224.

Tamim reached his first double-hundred in some style. Standing on 182, the left-hander suddenly realised that it was time to step up a gear and moved to 195 with consecutive straight sixes followed by a single against leg-spinner Yasir Shah. In the next over bowled by left-arm paceman Junaid Khan, Tamim disdainfully smashed another one, the impact was the same -- a six over the bowler's head. Tamim was out stumped off Hafeez but received all the respect from the opposition players and a standing ovation on his way back to the dressing room after playing arguably the best knock by a Bangladeshi on a Test field.

When he got out, Bangladesh looked safe enough at 399 for 3 and Mominul Haque (21) and Mahmudhllah Riyad (40) took the score to 451 at the tea break. And as it has always been the case, the final session looked a bit interesting when Mominul and Mushfiqur, who scored a five-ball duck, returned to the dressing room in quick succession. But Shakib Al Hasan stood firm at the other end and remained unbeaten on 76 when both captains agreed for a draw with Bangladesh going strong at 555 for 6.

And if someone wants to sum up the mood in that final hour of this Test, just revisit the verbal exchange between Pakistan's left-arm paceman Wahab Riaz and Shakib. It was a battle so common for Pakistan against any other team. But this is something new for Bangladesh and they are enjoying every bit of it.

Comments

As Sweet As Win

Tamim, Kayes topple cricket records as Bangladesh hold Pakistan to a fabulous draw
KEEP ON ROLLIN': Tamim Iqbal launched seven sixes on his way to 206, the highest Test score by a Bangladeshi, and also set a record partnership with Imrul Kayes for the opening stand as the Tigers drew a Test against Pakistan for the first time ever, at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna yesterday. PHOTO: Firoz Ahmed

If you are a Bangladesh cricket fan, keep on dreaming with a posse of Tigers for whom nothing is impossible. They now are the bad boys turned dancehall cutpurses, captivating the world audience with their new brand of cricket.

This is also a set of Tigers that hardly chose to sit on the laurels of an immediate past success, but looked determined to break one barrier after another.

On Saturday, they floored a few records associated with world's best batsmen and teams as well to register their maiden draw in Test against Pakistan after eight defeats. And those, who were in attendance at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna for five dramatic days, will cherish the second of the two double-centuries -- an imperious 206 by Tamim Iqbal and an equally important 150 by Imrul Kayes, for a long, long time.

Tamim's first double-century after skipper Mushfiqur Rahim's 200 at Galle against Sri Lanka in yet another creditable drawn encounter three years ago, was the cornerstone in Bangladesh's spectacular comeback story in Khulna, where the home side were up against a massive task of saving the match after Pakistan took a very impressive 296-run first innings lead in the fourth morning.

If Tamim was the hero then Imrul was the best supporting actor with a magnificent career-best 150. The pair not only surprised Pakistan when they batted out the whole two sessions on the fourth day and produced a never-seen-before 273 runs for the undefeated first wicket, but also safely negotiated the first hour of the fifth morning before rain stopped  play at 11.30am, forcing an early lunch.

By that time they took the total to 312, a world record opening partnership in the second innings, beating England's Colin Cowdrey and Geoff Pullar's 290 against South Africa in 1960.

Imrul, who defied the pain barrier of standing behind the wicket for 120 odd overs in place of injured Mushfiqur and then straightway opened the innings with Tamim, pushed his overnight 132 to 150 off 240 balls. The southpaw struck 16 fours and three sixes in his seven-hour odyssey at the wicket before holing out in the deep off Zulfiqar Babar.

Tamim's master-class 278-ball 206 that featured 17 fours and four sixes was something Mushfiqur described as 'a privilege to watch' and according to Pakistan captain Misbahul Haq 'a counter attack that took the game away from their firm grip' that won the left-hander the player-of-the-match award ahead of Mohammad Hafeez's brilliant 224.

Tamim reached his first double-hundred in some style. Standing on 182, the left-hander suddenly realised that it was time to step up a gear and moved to 195 with consecutive straight sixes followed by a single against leg-spinner Yasir Shah. In the next over bowled by left-arm paceman Junaid Khan, Tamim disdainfully smashed another one, the impact was the same -- a six over the bowler's head. Tamim was out stumped off Hafeez but received all the respect from the opposition players and a standing ovation on his way back to the dressing room after playing arguably the best knock by a Bangladeshi on a Test field.

When he got out, Bangladesh looked safe enough at 399 for 3 and Mominul Haque (21) and Mahmudhllah Riyad (40) took the score to 451 at the tea break. And as it has always been the case, the final session looked a bit interesting when Mominul and Mushfiqur, who scored a five-ball duck, returned to the dressing room in quick succession. But Shakib Al Hasan stood firm at the other end and remained unbeaten on 76 when both captains agreed for a draw with Bangladesh going strong at 555 for 6.

And if someone wants to sum up the mood in that final hour of this Test, just revisit the verbal exchange between Pakistan's left-arm paceman Wahab Riaz and Shakib. It was a battle so common for Pakistan against any other team. But this is something new for Bangladesh and they are enjoying every bit of it.

Comments

রণধীর জয়সওয়াল

হাসিনাকে ফেরত চেয়ে ঢাকার পাঠানো কূটনৈতিক নোট পেয়েছে দিল্লি

তবে এ বিষয়ে ভারত সরকারের পক্ষ থেকে তাৎক্ষণিক কোনো প্রতিক্রিয়া জানানো হয়নি।

১ ঘণ্টা আগে