Centuries from openers Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes propelled Bangladesh to a commanding position by the close of the opening day’s play of the third and final Test against Zimbabwe in Chittagong.
The hosts piled up 303 runs for the loss of two wickets in their first innings at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium yesterday with in-form batsmen Mominul Haque unbeaten on 46 and Mahmudullah undefeated on five.
That the home side are heading towards a big first innings total is down to the opening pair of Tamim and Imrul, not only Bangladesh’s most successful opening pair but the most prosperous Tigers duo in Test match cricket. The left-handers shared 224 runs for the opening wicket and created numerous records, maintaining the trend of the ongoing three-match Test series that has already given birth to countless feats.
It will not take a rocket scientist to assert that the day totally belonged to Tamim and Imrul. Tamim struck 109 from 171 balls with the help of 14 boundaries and a six while Imrul hit 130 from 257 deliveries featuring a dozen fours and two sixes.
Their 224-run association broke Bangladesh’s previous record for the opening wicket, 185, which was put up by the same pair against England at Lord’s in 2010.
Tamim and Imrul’s 224-run stand was also the fourth time a Bangladesh duo added 200 runs for any wicket and features in third place in the list of highest partnerships for Bangladesh for any wicket.
The two southpaws’ record-breaking feat is now the highest partnership for any wicket between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, breaking the previous record of 150 set by Brendan Taylor and Tatenda Taibu in January 2005.
It was a good toss to win for Bangladesh’s Test skipper Mushfiqur Rahim who immediately opted to bat on a pitch which has always proven itself to be a batting paradise. Imrul, coming back to the Test side after two months in place of the outgoing Shamsur Rahman, and Tamim provided their side a dream start.
Tamim started from where he had left off against Zimbabwe in the second Test in Khulna while Imrul played sensibly at the other end. Imrul exuded sheer confidence from the very beginning as he smashed the very first delivery that he faced to the boundary fence. Tamim on the other hand was compact and a model of patience.
Imrul though had the rub off the green when he was 19. The left-hander tried to blast a full toss bowled by Natsai M’shangwe only to present it to the hands of Brian Chari who missed a simple chance at the deep square-leg boundary.
However, since then both the Bangladeshi openers dominated the Zimbabwean bowling attack and reached their half centuries just after lunch. Both Tamim and Imrul remained calm and resolute and played the ball according to its merit.
Tamim soon reached his sixth Test century, his first at his hometown. Tamim has now equaled Mohammad Ashraful’s tally of six Test centuries, the highest by a Bangladesh batsman. Tamim’s 252-minute vigil at the crease ended when Sikandar Raza dismissed him.
Imrul at the other end remained focus and smote his second Test century before the tea interval with both of his tons coming at this ground. The lad from Meherpur, Kushtia gave a timely reminder of his talents to the selectors as another opener, Anamul Haque, was also in contention for an opening berth prior to the start of this Test. Hamilton Masakadza might have dismissed him for 130 but by then the opening duo had already done their job and how. Tamim and Imrul have now added 1453 runs as an opening pair in 33 Test innings at an average of 44, easily Bangladesh’s best opening pair in Test matches.