Players celebrate Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes's record stand with some cake in their dressing room at the SANS in Khulna on Saturday evening. Photos: Star
Tamim Iqbal might have stolen the show with his maiden double hundred in Khulna, but it was Imrul Kayes's humility that caught the attention of many during the post-match press conference in Khulna on Saturday.
There's no doubt that the bilateral series has so far belonged to Tamim. From tormenting Pakistan's bowlers in the ODIs to bamboozling them in the first Test, newspapers all over the country unanimously narrated the tale of Tamim's comeback. However, his partner in crime, a more quiet and sedate character, has an equally fascinating story.
One of Imrul's initial statements perhaps best described the kind of obstacles that he had to over come in the last few years. "I really didn't know if I was going to play in this side. I didn't perform well in the World Cup and people were talking about that," the left-hander had said.
This coming from a man who had scored two centuries in the three Tests prior to the one in Khulna last week; and the reason behind that apparent insecurity was simple; despite his good run he hasn't been able to play for the national side on a consistent basis.
After a hiatus of nearly two-and-a-half years, Imrul returned to Test cricket in February 2014. After Kumar Sangakkara flattened the Tigers with a triple century, Tamim Iqbal was out in the first over after the innings exchange.
Imrul arrived under those pressure-filled circumstances and battled to score a century and helped Bangladesh draw the game.
A fairytale comeback? Not quite.
Right after that series came the West Indian debacle. After a brilliant performance with the A side in the Caribbeans, Imrul was selected in the ODI side that toured the West Indies. Not only did he fail to perform in the ODIs, but had to return to the country without playing the second Test due to a skin infection.
The same medical condition kept him out of the first two Tests against Zimbabwe. Shamsur Rahman's lack of form in that series however compelled selectors to bring back Imrul for the third and final Test.
Within a span of nine months, the left-hander had to get set for a second comeback in his career; he had to prove that he was worth it yet again; and he did so in style.
He scored 130 in the first innings of that Test and, together with Tamim, put Zimbabwe out of the game.
His 150 against Pakistan in Khulna was arguably the best amongst the three centuries. He swept, reverse-swept, went down the track and looked extremely confident throughout the innings.
It wasn't just his batting that inspired; the fact that he volunteered to keep after Mushfiqur Rahim's injury, despite barely having kept wickets in first-class cricket, displayed just how desperate the left-hander was to prove himself at the top level.
"There were many people who talked about Imrul Kayes and his inclusion in the Test side. But we decided to go by recent records. One can't be emotional. I am really happy that it worked," exclaimed BCB's chief selector Faruque Ahmed.
"He may not have been among the runs in the World Cup and in the Bangladesh Cricket League recently, but we knew he could comeback. We persist with players who we know can do well at this level, and he proved us right," added Faruque.
After becoming the fifth Bangladeshi player to score 150 and sharing a record stand with Tamim, Imrul was bombarded with a series of questions. "How does it feel to be in the big league?" asked a reporter. Another jokingly compared him to Kumar Sangakkara.
Imrul's reply was akin to his strong front-foot defence: "Tamim, Shakib [Al Hasan], they are big players. They have broken several records. I personally don't think I have managed to come up to their league yet."
It was a cautious statement. Going by Imrul's recent past, which has seen him travel in and out of the team, he knows that he has barely any scope to relax after that innings.
