With the sun slowly disappearing, the effect of artificial lighting began to grow even more pronounced. However, what transpired on the field could be perceived as the moment of shining triumph for Bangladesh cricket following their epoch-making 108-run victory against England in the 2nd Test at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur.
After coming agonizingly close in the previous match at Chittagong, they finally managed to create national history by registering their maiden Test win over England to level the series 1-1. During the course of this monumental display, Bangladesh even managed to unearth a 19-year old spinner who could very well go to have an illustrious career.
Here are five of the most pertinent talking points from the riveting contest.
#5 – Well begun is half done
As recently as last year, Test cricket in Bangladesh involved some of the flattest pitches known to mankind and the home team going into the match with the sole objective of somehow escaping with a draw. They even stacked their side with batting depth whilst remaining content with employing half and half cricketers instead of a significant amount of specialist bowling option.
However, this series saw Bangladesh shunning their traditional approach by preparing viciously turning pitches which allowed low-scoring thrillers. In doing so, a clear message was sent out that they are here to play.
#4 – Tamim Iqbal’s affinity for English bowling
Tamim Iqbal has played 44 Tests and scored 3349 runs at an average of 40.34. While those numbers are not bad for an opener, his record against England is even better with 736 runs from just 6 matches at an average of 61.33 with three centuries and five half-centuries. It becomes all the more impressive when considering the fact two of those hundreds came on English soil during the 2010 tour.
The stylish left-hander played a key role in this match by putting the England bowlers immediately on the back foot with a flamboyant 147-ball 104 in the first-innings. His blazing 47-ball 40 also set the tone for Bangladesh on a rapidly deteriorating surface.
#3 – Mehedi Hasan Miraz storms into the limelight
The home team’s lineup for the opening Test contained a then 18-year old off-spinner named Mehedi Hasan Miraz. Though he had been highly rated in the domestic circuit, the odds of him having a significant impact on Bangladesh’s fortunes did not seem that high. However, the Khulna-born cricketer made an instant impression with a six-wicket haul on his very first innings.
Also Read: What makes Mehedi Hasan so deadly against England?
With the first match ending in a defeat for them, Bangladesh arrived at Mirpur with their spinners garnering additional attention on a highly conducive pitch. Having grown a year older in the intervening period, Mehedi Hasan stole the show by picking up six-wicket hauls in both innings to propel his side towards a famous victory. In a way, it was reminiscent of the legendary all-rounder Vinoo Mankad bowling India to their maiden Test victory against England (by an innings margin) at Madras in 1952.
#2 – Where does England go from here?
While England’s batsmen were struggling against the Bangladeshi spinners, there was someone watching the action closely from almost 2000 kilometers away. Ravichandran Ashwin even sent out a tweet calling Mirpur as ‘the most hostile venue to be playing for any visiting team’. However, unbeknownst to those outside, the menacing off-spinner could have been licking his lips at the prospect of dealing with Alastair Cook’s team in less than a couple of weeks.
Even though the visitors’ batting lineup possessed immense batting depth, their ability to tackle spin on these types of pitches negated that advantage. With only two batsmen having prior experience of playing in India and as many as five left-handers in their likely top-six, England face a daunting task when the 5-Test series against the number one ranked team begins from November 9.
#1 – Bangladesh are no longer minnows
Unarguably, the 108-run triumph is Bangladesh’s most consequential victory in their Test history which until now had been primarily riddled with innumerable lows. Since playing their Test in November 2000, they had largely been uncompetitive in the sport’s traditional format with only 7 wins as against 72 losses from 94 matches. Despite coming excruciatingly close during the previous Test, the question marks surrounding their propensity to get past the finishing line still remained.
However, the historical victory which also helped them hold England to a 1-1 series draw should indicate their coming of age as a Test nation. Having become a highly competitive limited-overs outfit during the last couple of years, their triumph in the longest format holds the potential of being a watershed moment suggesting that Bangladesh are not minnows anymore.
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