Shoriful makes history

Bangladesh entered the second and final Test of the series in Mackay buoyed by the confidence of their maiden Test victory in Darwin. But the start was far from ideal; the team’s first innings folded for just 64 runs under a barrage from the Australian pacers, raising fears that they might be knocked out of contention right at the outset. Najmul Hossain Shanto’s team suffered a collapse and was bowled out for just 64 runs.

Bangladesh pacer Shoriful Islam produced a remarkable all-round performance on the opening day of the second Test against Australia in Mackay on Saturday, earning him a place in the record books.

Bangladesh won the ODI series against Australia at home last June. But they couldn’t win the third ODI, even though Shoriful took six wickets in that match. Speaking about his performance in Mackay on Saturday, Shoriful said, “It certainly feels good.

I enjoyed the achievement last time as well. Honestly, it would have felt even better had we won that match. I’m not dwelling on the fact that I took five wickets right now; I would be truly happy if we won the match.”

Shariful said, “The game isn’t over yet; only the first day has passed. We had a bad day with the bat today, but their batters are also struggling significantly in these conditions. Let’s see what happens and how well we can bounce back in the second innings.”

Bangladesh were bowled out for just 64 before Australia reached 165-8 at stumps on Day 1, taking a 101-run lead. Shoriful scored a record 14 runs at No. 11 before claiming 6-35.

By doing so, he became the first No. 11 batter to score five or more runs and take at least five wickets in the same Test innings, while his 14 runs was the highest score by a Bangladesh No. 11 batter in the innings.

His final figures of 6-35 gave Bangladesh a crucial opening after their disappointing batting display.

The performance marked a rare feat in Test cricket, while Shoriful’s efforts with both bat and ball kept Bangladesh firmly in contention and turned what initially appeared to be a one-sided day into a contest.