Bangladesh come of Test age
Bengal Tigers maul English Lions to level series
Syed Mohammed Pithu
The Bangladesh cricket team finally gave the nation an occasion to exult, snapping the perpetual occurrence of melting the hopes into despair as they sealed a landmark 108-run win over England in the second Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka yesterday. The result which helped them level the series 1-1 came as reparation after coming so close to victory in Chittagong. The victory that eluded the Tigers to give a heartbreaking 22-run defeat, finally came in the grasp on the back of mesmerizing 22.5 overs in the final session of third day in which they claimed 10 English wickets in a display of extraordinary bowling. As they were bound to prove the fact of coming of age after a stunning revolution in limited over cricket, the victory provided a soothing pleasure with a renewed belief. Its their first win over one of the major Test nations. In 94 matches previously they had only beaten a second string West Indies and low profile Zimbabwe for seven wins.
Bangladeshs two wins against the West nIndies came in 2009 on the Caribbean soil when the home side was missing all their regular starters due to a contract dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board. Shakib Al Hasan was the captain as regular captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza withdrew himself on the first day of the first Test due to injury.
In the Dhaka Test yesterday, 19-year old teen-ager Mehedi Hasan Miraz led the way with a figure of six for 77 to send England batting line up death spiral. He was complemented by Shakib Al Hasan who captured four for 49. Mehedi ended a match figure of 12-159, the best by a Bangladeshi bowler and finished the series with a haul of 19, also a national record. England needed their highest successful run chase in Asia as Bangladesh set a 273 runs target after being bowled out for 296 in the second innings. The visitors looked well set after a century opening partnership between Alastair Cook and Ben Duckett but lost all 10 wickets in 22.5 overs in a manic final session to loss the match inside three days.
England captain Alastair Cook made 59 and Ben Duckett scored 56 as they kept the side unscathed before lunch, reaching 100-0. At this point, even die-hard fans dared to dream of such backlash.
But Mehedi dared. He struck with the first ball of the final session, dismissing Duckett with a delivery that kept low. From then on Bangladesh never looked back, sensing a historic victory with the pitch deteriorating increasingly. Only Stokes apart from Cook and Duckett reached double digits as Mehedi and Shakib made inroads at regular intervals.
Shakib Al Hasan removed Joe Root for 1 as Bangladesh spinners used the crack of the pitch perfectly to leave England in tatters. Mehedi then picked up Gary Ballance (5) and Moeen Ali (0) in an over but he dealt the biggest blow when Cook poked at a turning delivery, straight to first slip.
Cook had survived a video review on 44 against the same bowler and Bangladesh sought a video review unsuccessfully against him when he was on 59. But minutes after the second review, he lost his concentration and Englands hopes faded away with his departure. Cook hit five fours in an innings that lasted two and a half hours.
Ben Stokes resisted but Bangladesh spinners hardly gave Englands batsmen any space to breathe, bowling with accurate line and length on a pitch that offered plenty of support. Jonny Bairstow, who rescued England from precarious situations earlier in the series, was unable to repeat the trick and was out on 3.
Shakib disturbed Stokes stump with a straight delivery and then dismissed Zafar Ansari and Adil Rashid for duck in four balls. Mehedi fittingly ended the match with the wicket of Steven Finn and to claim five or more wickets in the first two tests three times. He also eclipsed left arm spinner Enamul Haque Juniors 18 wickets to be the highest wicket-taker (19) in a series for Bangladesh. Bangladesh earlier set England a 273-run target to win the second Test after they were bowled out for 296 shortly after lunch on the third day.
Opener Imrul Kayes made 78 while Mahmudullah scored 47 to give Bangladesh a fighting chance of levelling the series on an increasingly turning, deteriorating wicket. The hosts capitalised on Englands wayward fielding on the third morning after resuming their innings on 152 for three to widen the lead. Kayes survived two dropped catches, while Shakib Al Hasan also benefited from a Ben Duckett drop at deep midwicket on his way to 41. Legspinner Adil Rashid claimed four for 52 and fast bowler Ben Stokes took three for 52.
Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid congratulated the national cricket team for their historic victory in the second test against visiting England that leveled the two-match series 1-1.
In a message, the President greeted the players, coach and staff of the team. The President hoped that the trend of victory of the cricket team would continue in future.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also greeted the Tigers for their emphatic maiden Test victory against England. In a message, the Prime Minister thanked the players, coach, manager and officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and all concerned for the historic win.
