Bangladesh registered their biggest ever Test match victory thrashing Aghanistan by 546 runs in the one off Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Taskin Ahmed accompanied by his fellow pacer Shoriful Islam shared seven wickets when the other seamer Ebadot Hosssain and spinner Mehidy Miraz picked up a piece to join the celebration after finishing the Afghanistan second innings only for a paltry 115 runs.
Though Afghanistan could drag the match to the fourth day, the game had swung so far out of their reach that on the third day lunch session of Bangladesh second innings when the host had 491 lead.
It is the biggest ever in this century and third biggest win in the history of Test cricket and when the first one was in the last century in 1928 with England drubbing Australia by 675 runs. Australia took four years to take revenge with 562 runs victory in 1934 while in this century the previous highest record of 462 runs win of South Africa against Australia was in 2018.
Meanwhile, previous biggest ever victory of Bangladesh was against Zimbabwe by 226 runs in 2005.
At different points of the Test, Nazmul Hossain Shanto’s twin century and Mominul Haque’s hundred paved the way to the big win when fast bowlers also did great job taking 14 wickets to book the visitors for 146 runs by 39 overs in the first innings and 115 runs by 33 overs in the second innings.
Certainly, Shanto deserves most of the credits of rendering highest contribution but bowlers also did wonderful job bowling them out cheaply taking 18 wickets (two batters retired hurt) in 72 overs conceding 261 runs (146 and 115).
In fact, it was also a combined effort of Tigers’ batters and bowlers to earn the feat of grabbing their biggest ever and massive victory.
However, Afghanistan started the fourth day with 45 for two wickets with Rahmat Shah and Nasir Jamal on the crease when Hashmatullah Shahidi retired hurt for 13 runs after playing 14 balls.
Tigers’ bowlers went on needing eight wickets to seal the win and keeping the momentum of the first innings completed the job inside 22 overs although, among eight wickets one batter retired hurt.
Ebadot Hossain, who was the first innings hero to bundle out Afghanistan for 146 runs with taking four wickets, drew the first blood in the third ball of the third over of the day. Ebadot pitched the ball outside off stump that went straight to tickle the batter's outside edge, as Nasir Jamal could do a little against a beautiful delivery.
After Ebadot initiating the strike Shoriful sent back Afsar Zazai and Bahir Shah in a quick succession.
Taskin Ahmed, who was just wicketless in the first innings of Afghanistan with the bowling figure - seven overs, 48 runs for no wicket and came in action on third day taking one wicket, claimed his day’s first one with getting Rahmat Shah the top-scorer out in the second innings.
Rahmat Shah, the only solid batting effort (in the second innings) by a visiting player, who looked okay for his 30 off 73 balls at one down, before giving the catch to wicket keeper Litton Das when he played a short length delivery outside the off-stump that edged past to keeper.
It was Taskin, however, who accelerated Afghanistan's downfall in the second innings and eventual folding-up before lunch. At that point, given the extended session only the probability of Afghanistan being bowled out within a short time when Taskin bowled Karim Jannat, the second highest scorer for 18 and then got Yamin Ahmedzai out for one.
The visitors' last man Zahir Khan retired hurt, when Taskin’s another short delivery knocked to his elbow that caused him unable to bat during the extended morning session on the fourth day, after a few minutes of discussion and medical attention, Zahir walked off as the hosts left with nine second-innings wickets to take to confirm the massive win.
