Hasan leads Bangladesh to historic win
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP): OFF-SPINNER MEHEDI Hasan claimed a Bangladesh Test match record of 12-159 as his side secured a first-ever win against England – a comfortable 108-run victory – to level the series 1-1 yesterday.
Mehedi took 6-77 in the second innings to rip through England, which lost all 10 wickets in the post-lunch session in its pursuit of 273 runs to win.
Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan complemented Mehedi’s effort with 449 with three wickets in four balls to help the side earn the victory inside three days.
“It is a very big achievement in Bangladesh’s Test cricket history,” said Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim. “It came against a very good England side, but there will be a time when we will win a series 2-0 against any big team. This is a start.”
England captain Alastair Cook made 59 and Ben Duckett scored 54 as they kept the side unscathed before lunch, reaching 100-0.
“Very hard (to explain). 100-0 was a really good session. I was really pleased with the way Ben played,” Cook said.
“We possibly showed our inexperience in those conditions, even though I was out there experiencing it – it was amazing the difference before tea and after tea. You lose a couple of wickets, then men come round the bat, crowd gets into it – being able to deal with and get through it – you know it doesn’t last forever, but that half an hour, 40 minutes is crucial, and we just weren’t good enough to be able to get through.”
Mehedi struck with the first ball of the final session, dismissing Duckett with a delivery that kept low.
NO LOOKING BACK
From then on, Bangladesh never looked back. Only Stokes, apart from Cook and Duckett, reached double digits as Mehedi and Shakib made inroads at regular intervals.
“From the time we knew England were coming, we planned to make wickets that would help our spinners and trouble the English batsmen. Here our bowlers executed our plans and the batsmen did well too, which made this win possible,” Mushfiqur added.
Shakib Al Hasan removed Joe Root for one as Bangladesh spinners used the crack of the pitch perfectly to leave England in tatters.
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 Bangladesh’s Mehedi Hasan Miraz bowls against England during the second cricket Test match in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Junior’s 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 it was 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 highest successful chase in the fourth innings at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium was 209-1 by England against the same opponent in 2010.