History continues to be created in Chennai. It was Ravichandran Ashwin’s on day one, and now it’s 24-year-old Hasan Mahmud’s turn to script his name in record books. Coming from an all-time high, having taken a 5-wicket haul against Pakistan earlier in the month, Mahmud has claimed yet another 5-fer in the India vs Bangladesh 1st Test.
Bangladesh have a 11-0 record against India in Test cricket. Three of these 11 defeats have come in India, and Mahmud did his best to improve his team’s record. He got India’s top four of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill in the first two sessions. He was the reason why Bangladesh bossed the first two sessions on Day 1. However, as he was taken for runs by Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, the Tigers looked toothless.
Bangladesh’s new era ft. Hasan Mahmud
He was the one who started things by taking the Indian captain’s wicket in the 6th over, and it was only right that he ended things as well. Jasprit Bumrah‘s wicket in the 92nd over gave him his 2nd 5-wicket haul in Test cricket, both of which have come away from home and in consecutive innings.
Mahmud has also become the third Asian player in the last 34 years to take a 5-wicket haul in India. The first was Sri Lanka’s Ravindra Pushpakumara in November 1997 and then Pakistan’s Yasir Arafat in December 2007. Now it’s Hasan Mahmud, the first Asian pacer in 17 years to take a 5-wicket in India.
Playing just his 4th Test match, Mahmud already has 19 wickets to his name, and in the 5 innings away from home, he’s got 13 wickets. That some start in Test cricket for the right-arm pacer, and one can expect him to only get better with time.