Hats off to Tamim, Imrul
Tamim Iqbal (206) and Imrul Kayes’ (150) new opening partnership record in the 3rd innings of a Test match reminded the cricket world that Bangladesh must be respected by all the cricket playing nations.. The two batsmen scored uninterrupted 312 runs to batter the previous best record of 290 runs of England’s Colin Cowdrey and Geoff Puller in 1960 against South Africa at Oval. I think that the hosts might have won the match had it been a six-day match because it is very difficult to bat in the fourth innings.
There were a number of stars viz. ER Dexter, Subba Row, Colin Cowdrey, Peter May (captain), G. Puller, Truman, Statham and Tom Graveny, among others, in the sixties in England team In 1959-60 away series, England beat West Indies 1-0. In 1960, Pakistan toured India and the five-match Test series ended in a draw. So, what Tamim and Imrul did is surely the testimony of great genie.
Test cricket is the best form of all versions of cricket, because a team gets an opportunity to heal the wounds and a player who makes a mistake in the first innings can compensate in the second innings producing superb performance, as did Tamin and Imrul.
Undaunted by 296 runs first innings deficit, the Bangladesh team established 259 runs lead at stump on the final and concluding day. Three hundred runs would have been an uphill task for Pakistan to avert had it been a six-day match. Thus, we can say that Bangladesh roared like a lion finally with a note of strong warning to the cricket playing nations.
Abdullah Akber
Dhaka
