08/14/26 04:25:00
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08/14 04:23 CDT Tanzid Hasan's maiden test century puts Bangladesh in command
against Australia
Tanzid Hasan's maiden test century puts Bangladesh in command against Australia
DARWIN, Australia (AP) --- Tanzid Hasan posted his maiden century in just his
second cricket test to help guide Bangladesh to 351-6 at stumps Friday and into
commanding position over top-ranked Australia after two days of the Top End
series opener.
Tanzid raised his hundred with a single off Nathan Lyon from 188 deliveries but
after a patient and resilient innings, he added just one more run before
lofting a ball from the veteran Australian spinner to Mitchell Starc at
long-off soon after.
He survived two dropped chances and shared two big, important partnerships to
set No. 9-ranked Bangladesh on course for a big first-inning lead. Tanzid
combined with Mominul Haque (49) in a 102-run second-wicket stand and 93 with
skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto for the third.
Shanto went on to score 84 from 126 deliveries before he was one of the three
wickets to fall in a four-over period soon after the Australians took the
second new ball.
Bangladesh resumed Friday at 96-1, 102 behind on the first innings after
dismissing Australia for 198, and finished Day 2 with a 153-run lead and four
wickets in hand.
Tanzid said he curbed his attacking instinct and "I did what the team required."
"I can't describe it in words but it is very special for me," he said of his
101. "I was trying to play normal cricket, and keep calm."
In their first test on Australian soil since 2003, the Bangladesh players were
just as disciplined with the bat as they were with the ball on the opening day.
Mehidy Hassan Miraz (32) and Hasan Mahmud (13) shared a 43-run unbroken
partnership --- surviving a dropped catch on the last ball of the day --- for
the seventh wicket to get Bangladesh to stumps in the kind of position that few
expected ahead of the series.
The reunion of Australia's so-called Big Four --- pacemen Pat Cummins,Josh
Hazlewood and Starc and veteran off-spinner Lyon has so far been blunted by the
visiting batters in the warm, tropical conditions of far north Australia.
"They batted really well," Australia opening batter Jake Weatherald said in a
post-stumps TV interview. "We obviously missed a few chances but credit to
them, they batted really well."
"Obviously the wicket has changed quite a lot from our first innings compared
to today," he added. "We're excited to get out there, it looks like a really
good track to bat on now."
The two-test "Top End" series starts a heavy 12-month schedule for the
Australians that will feature 20 test matches, including tours to South Africa,
India and England.
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