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BSP-17
CRICKET-BD-20-YEARS-TEST
Bangladesh steps into 21st year in Test cricket
DHAKA, Nov 9, 2020 (BSS)— Bangladesh will step into the 21st year in Test cricket tomorrow (Tuesday) but with a huge regret that they actually achieved very little in this format.
On November 10, 2000, Bangladesh played their first Test to officially kick-start their journey in the longer version format and till now played 119 Tests. After getting Test status as 10th nation, they comfortably played more Test matches than their predecessors in the first 20 years. Yet the stat is frustrating.
Of the 119 Tests, Bangladesh won just 14 matches and drew 16, most of which by the blessings of rain. But they lost a gigantic number of 89 matches and 43 of them by innings margin, which means almost 50 percent defeat came at innings margin.
The number shows how vulnerable they remain in the Test circuit. Even though they have already defeated Test teams like Australia and England, those victories came at a designed pitch at home.
Bangladesh is yet to make themselves a force to reckon despite beginning their journey with some achievements. They became only the second team after Zimbabwe to post 400 in the inaugural Test. And Aminul Islam Bulbul became Bangladesh’s first Test centurion in the inaugural Test by hitting a magnificent 145. The 145 was the second highest by any player in a country’s inaugural Test after Charles Bannerman’s unbeaten 165 in 1877.
Naimur Rahman Durjoy led Bangladesh in the inaugural Test, while Sourav Ganguly, the incumbent BCCI president, captained the Indian side.
Bangladesh though piled up 400 in the first innings, they conceded 29 runs lead after India racked up 429. The Tigers saw the other side of the coin and was all out for 91 in the second innings, which forced them to taste a nine-wicket defeat in the maiden Test.
Though Bangladesh lost the game, they won the heart and showed the promise of being a good Test team. But morning doesn’t always show the day always. After that game, Bangladesh started plunging too low in this format, which is still continuing.
There were some sporadic glimpses of brilliance of some players – Mushfiqur Rahim has three double-centuries in Test cricket while Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan have one.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is mulling to make a separate squad for Test cricket. They have taken steps to improve the standard of First Class Cricket, where participation of the national team players has been made compulsory on the basis of their availability.
The board is arranging tours for its teams that make players confident and the effects are showing in the team’s performance. Some talented young players have emerged from that environment. They have proved their worth as future talent.
BSS/SMP/AU/20:10 hrs