“Bangladesh beat England by 108 runs in the second test”. The headline made the rounds on Sunday and caught the attention of every cricket lover. For a team that had won just seven Tests to date, this eighth win meant the world and was a strong statement of intent from Mushfiqur Rahim’s talented team.
Five of these seven wins came against Zimbabwe. No, not against that competitive side of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s; not even against the decent, not-so-bad Zimbabwe side that followed. It came against a Zimbabwe team that was depleted and not even paid by their board.
The two other wins were against the West Indies who, post the era of Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, were never a force to reckon with in Test cricket. On top of that, Bangladesh’s victories against them came in a 2009 series that composed of third string cricketers representing the West Indies, after the first-choice cricketers had a fight with the board and the second-string side decided to give it a miss as well. Nine of those players never played Test cricket again.
Who is Mehedi Hasan Miraz?
But this 108-run win came over a first-choice England side, the nation known to introduce cricket to the world and one that is among the best in this format. Unarguably, this is the biggest result in the history of Bangladesh cricket. And when such a result was achieved, there had to be a star man of the show, a man behind the famous win, the 19-year-old Mehedi Hasan.
Hailing from Barisal, a major city in Bangladesh, Hasan learnt the nuances of the game from former cricketer Sheikh Salahuddin who was regarded as one of the finest off-spinners of his generation. He for sure, has passed on his learning to the youngster who has made an instant impact at the international level.
Mehedi Hasan’s early stages saw him lead the Under-19 Bangladesh side and he took the team to the Word Cup in 2014 in the United Arab Emirates, winning the Plate. It was a regular beginning but Hasan made quick amends and gave an account of the talent he possessed through his first-class debut when he played in the 2014-‘15 season of the National Cricket League. With 30 wickets including three five wicket hauls at an average of 16.43, Mehedi Hasan had announced his arrival in style.
Success at the junior levels
Soon, Hasan led the Bangladesh U-19 team again, but this time for the 2016 edition of the World Cup and the young all-rounder led Bangladesh to their best finish in the tournament. Hasan guided his team to the semi-finals and beat Sri Lanka in the third place play-off. Hasan was not only the star for the Bangladeshi side, but the entire tournament, as the young all-rounder picked the Man of the Tournament Award for 242 runs and 12 wickets in just 6 games.
Bangladesh cricket smiled and it seemed a star had arrived to make it it big for a team on the rise. The fans were excited and the critics and selectors saw a promising player they felt could service them in years to come.
Few months later, Hasan played a vital role in Bangladesh’s biggest triumph and has all the makings to build on from here and keep contributing to Bangladesh cricket. Now come January, when the contract renewals, appointments, cancellations happen, Mehedi Hasan can be assured of being the big winner.
The 19-year-old was mostly seen as a batting all-rounder, offering promise and runs with his bat than with his bowling where he was seen more as a utility option. Boasting of a simple, orthodox action, the off-spinner Mehedi Hasan has turned back the clock. In the age where unconventional bowlers are talked about and brought to the forefront, Hasan seems to have re-emphasised the impact of a smart, conventional spinner who can stick to the basics. In an age of Sunil Narine and Ajantha Mendis and when the doosra and carrom ball are the talking points, Mehedi Hasan has carved his niche with his own simple yet effective style.
Still early days
Hasan has average List A statistics, having taken 27 wickets in 27 matches and scoring just 481 runs with an average of 20.04, though he has somewhat better first-class career statistics with 60 wickets in 14 games and 529 runs in as many games at an average of 31.11. Considering these numbers, Hasan’s Test record seems to be a notch above. The other point that must be noted here is the fact that the surfaces in the two Tests against England were rank turners and England are not the best players of spin. The 19-year-old also failed to make any notable contribution with the bat and failed miserably every time he got a chance with the bat in his hand.
As they say, “well begun is half done”. Putting things into perspective, though Hasan has had impressive stats and took on the responsibility to deliver in his debut series, there is still time before passing any decisive judgement on any aspect of his game – good or bad and one that only time shall tell.
Till then, Bangladesh should be happy celebrating their win and arrival of a potential future star, the cricketing fraternity of a talented cricketer making a mark and India of England’s failure to tackle spin bowling.
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