BanglaCricket Article

Everything is happening so fast! We all expected a century from some players like Habibul Bashar, and a few fifties from Ashraful, Kapali, Hannan before the start of this series, but whoever thought of Kapali taking a hat-trick?

Actually, a century was something like an overdue for the Bangladesh team. It was way back in the year 2001 when Habibul Bashar scored his maiden test century against Zimbabwe in Chittagong, it was also in the same year that Mohammad Ashraful announced his debut with a maiden test hundred against Sri Lanka.

It was also within our expectations that a debutant Rajin Saleh could become a hero in his debut match for Bangladesh, just like Mohammad Ashraful.

But a hat-trick - not even from a regular bowler Alok Kapali - this is beyond our expectations! In fact, it was quite unexpected. It might have been normal if somebody like fast bowler Mashrafee Murtoza or experienced spinner Mohammad Rafique had taken a hat-trick. But no - it was a 19-year-old leg spinner Alok Kapali whose only contribution in this new found Bangladesh team in this tour before this great achievement was only a responsible knock of 46 with the bat!

Oh boy! For a long time nothing seemed to be going our way, we get all out for as low as 80s, we are beaten by teams like Canada, Namibia as well as Kenya, and then voila! We are scoring hundreds, taking hat-tricks, taking first innings leads, taking a test match into the 5th days, 2 century partnerships in one innings, what not?

Sure the usual batting displays of losing 4 wickets in a short time is still there, going out after only scoring fifties (by Ashraful) is still there, Habibul Bashar missing out on a second successive test century for only 3 runs - but look at all our achievements!

We had been crying for so long - when our agony of innings defeats will end, when will we witness a test century, when will our team be a little competitive so that we won't have to get hurt for all the criticisms for giving us test status too early!

And the only change that had happened from the world cup to this Pakistan tour is the change in the team management - to be precise captain Khaled Mahmud and coach Dave Whatmore, and the hunger of our tigers. Go Tigers Go!