Shakib, Mushy roar like never before
We have so many streets in Dhaka or elsewhere in the country with names that invoke little interest about the story behind it. What about naming a street 359 SM Road?
Curious? Turn your focus to Wellington and in particular the Basin Reserve, where a monumental fifth-wicket stand of 359 runs between Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim rattled the Black Caps and scripted one of the best days in Bangladesh cricket. For the record books, it is the highest partnership for any wicket for Bangladesh and the fourth-highest fifth-wicket stand in the history of Test cricket.
And the impact of the partnership is colossal. Bangladesh posted a massive 542 for seven at stumps on the second day of the first Test against New Zealand. Interestingly, the innings which is yet to be completed is already more than the Tigers managed in their previous two Tests at this very ground, the combined total of which comes to 523 for 40 wickets in four innings.
This is something too good to believe if you are a follower of Bangladesh cricket and have spent many days watching the other team achieving these sorts of milestones. The sunny Friday hot on the heels of a turbulent Thursday, when the Tigers battled their way against extreme wind, was the odyssey of Shakib-Mushfiqur. Along the way Shakib scored an imperious 217, the highest score by a Bangladeshi, and skipper Mushfiqur a sumptuous 159.
Both batsmen will have their names in the honours board at the visiting team's dressing room and the partnership will have a long-lasting impact on a few hundred fans in attendance.
And for those who missed it, the partnership and the records along the way deserve detailed description.
Bangladesh resumed the day on 154 for three and Mominul got out without adding a single run to his overnight score of 64 in the fourth over. It was a brilliant delivery from Tim Southee, the ball angled in and Mominul had to play at it. The ball took the edge of his bat on way to the waiting gloves of BJ Watling.
It brought Mushfiqur to the wicket and he was playing his first game after recovering from a hamstring injury that he sustained in the opening ODI at Christchurch on December 26.
Shakib greeted him with a customary fist-punch and the old guard started their association from 160 for four. They took the score past the 200-mark in the 14th over of the day. New Zealand bowlers were coming hard knowing that this was the last recognised pair.
Neil Wagner bowled six bouncers on the trot and Shakib ducked each one of them and that was good news for his team because he was fully focused after being dropped at four late on the first day.
Mushfiqur started uncertainly, slashing Grandhomme well outside the off-stump. He was lucky as the ball flew over the gully fielder for four and with it came the 50-run partnership.
They went into the first drinks break at 210 for four in 50 overs and when they returned Shakib accelerated, hitting Southee for a four through the covers, a couple off the next delivery and then a single to move on to 46. The left-hander brought up his fifty off 86 balls in some style, hitting Southee straight down the ground. The New Zealand captain introduced his lone spinner Mitchell Santner in the 69th over to break the partnership. But it grew from strength to strength. Mushfiqur completed his fifty with a sweep off Santner for a four.
Shakib brought up the 100-run partnership with an unconvincing slash between slip and gully but went for a satisfying lunch, adding 115 runs against one wicket. The second new-ball was taken in the fifth over after lunch but by that time Shakib had become the third Bangladeshi after Tamim Iqbal and Habibul Bashar to go past 3,000 Test runs when he took a single and reached 71.
The new ball did little to rattle the pair expect for a few fiery overs from Trent Boult, who troubled both batsmen with those incoming thunderbolts. But anything over-pitched or outside off-stump was duly punished. Shakib slashed one over gully and the Bangladesh total reached 303 in 83.1 overs.
Shakib, on 87, seemed to have been caught down the leg side. Southee thought it brushed off his gloves and asked for a review but was overturned by the third umpire as replays showed that the ball missed bat and glove and brushed the thigh pad. Shakib moved on to the 90s with a sweetly-timed four through the covers and then took little time to complete his fourth Test hundred after the post-lunch drinks break. On 93, he struck Neil Wagner for four through extra-cover, ran for two and then flicked for a single and celebrated the landmark in subdued fashion.
After hitting two boundaries Mushfiqur also moved closer to his for fourth hundred. After playing a few dot balls, he reached the landmark when he tried to leave but the ball ran off the bat face and slipped through second slip and gully for four. The pair went for a satisfying tea with Bangladesh going strong at 391 for four in 101 overs.
There was an interesting change in the field settings from the morning session to the post tea session. The Black Caps started with four slips, a gully and a point in the morning and by the time pair walloped their way to the post-tea session, all the slip fielders were removed, understandably as a contingency plan for damage limitation.
On 137 Shakib was adjudged caught behind off Wagner. But after it was referred to the third umpire just to confirm whether Watling had taken the catch cleanly, replays showed that the ball touched the ground from the impact of Watling's dive.
After surviving that close call, Shakib crossed the 150-mark with a sweep for a couple. By that time he played 191 balls and hit 22 boundaries. The partnership crossed 300 when Mushfiqur stepped out against Santner for a classic cover drive for four.
The Bangladesh captain then charged down the wicket against his New Zealand counterpart Kane Williamson for a mighty six over long-on, which was incidentally only the second six of the innings. With this six the fifth wicket stand crossed the previous best Bangladeshi stand for any wicket -- 312 by Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes against Pakistan at home in April 2015.
Mushfiqur, the first Bangladesh batsman to score a double hundred, reached 150 with a single. However in the hunt for a double hundred Shakib gave it a real push, mercilessly hitting anything wide outside the off stump. A delicate late cut against Santner, followed by a savage pull off Boult took Shakib to 189. He was dropped at backward point by Ross Taylor on 189 while playing his favourite cut shot. Bangladesh crossed their highest score against New Zealand when the pair took the total to 503 for four. Shakib then gave the final push for his double hundred, driving Boult through the covers for a boundary followed by a single and a couple in the same over.
With Shakib on 199, New Zealand captain Williamson brought all his fielders inside the circle. The champion left-hander, after playing six dot balls, reached the milestone with his pet shot -- a back-foot cut off Gandhomme. And the moment the ball beat the circle, the knowledgeable audience stood up and saluted his marvellous innings. The applause went on for a while and the Bangladesh dressing room was full of noise.
The partnership was finally broken when Mushfiqur drove a full delivery behind the wicket for 159 off 200 balls that contained 23 fours and a six. Shakib got out at 217, dragging an attempted chop on to his stumps. But by that time he had replaced his long-time friend and teammate Tamim to own the highest individual Test score for Bangladesh.
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