Zakir’s debut ton one of perseverance

Zakir Hasan became the fourth batter from Bangladesh to score a century in their debut Test, a feat he achieved on the fourth day of the first Test against India at Chattogram yesterday.

Zakir's longer-version performances in the domestic circuit and then against India A recently paved the way for his inclusion following a journey that began with a T20I debut four years ago and has seen him overcome that tag of T20 specialist.

Thus he waited his turn, hoping to maintain his process and playing a big number of domestic games before opener Tamim Iqbal's injury saw the Test side's door open for him. But does sitting on the national team's periphery for four years following that T20I debut and then making a case with a debut ton in Tests signal that this is his time?

"Actually you can't say something like that with certainty," the 24-year-old said at press conference yesterday. Zakir had made his case with a 173-run knock against India A, a game where he was included due to injury to regular opener Towhid Hridoy.

"I don't worry too much about what happened in the past. I think about what I have in my hands, what I can do. I am trying to hold on to this process," he added on his return.

"That innings (173 against India A) provided me with a lot of confidence. I was trying to follow the same process of that innings. A big score leading into a national call-up is certainly a turning point," he pointed out on his innings of patience and application.

Zakir played 69 first-class games and in the recent NCL, where a majority struggled against the seam and swing of the Dukes ball, he was the highest run-getter. "I think I held on to my temperament because I played so much first-class cricket. I have a number of big innings in that format. The Dukes ball swung for almost 80 overs in this season's conditions. Kookaburra usually swings for less time so I think it was slightly easier for me [at Chattogram]."

Zakir, who became just the second opener since the West Indies' Leonard Baichan to hit a ton in the fourth innings of debut Test, fell to Ravinchandran Ashwin after a 224-ball 100 after a 315-minute knock. Although congratulated by the likes of Virat Kohli and India coach Rahul Dravid, Zakir was disappointed, remarking: "I wanted to bat a little longer for the team."

He said he modelled himself after Mominul Haque, adding: "We are left-handers of roughly the same height. I was always inspired by his batting and discipline."

He said he remained hopeful that Shakib Al Hasan and Mehedi Miraz could still pull off a miracle on the final day. About his own knock, he remained pretty down to earth. "I feel good scoring a hundred. I didn't have expectations. I wanted to bat long," he said, knowing that confidence had been shown in his perseverance.