LIVING UP to the hype
Since breaking into the record books in his debut series against England in 2016, when he bagged 19 wickets in two Tests, there were concerns about whether young off-spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz would be able to live up to expectations once his honeymoon period was over.
High expectations did mount pressure on the youngster as Mehedi went through a lean patch with the ball, especially away from home. But the keen learner continued to gain experience even during those tough periods and that eventually paid dividends.
Mehedi surpassed his own record for best match figures by a Bangladeshi in Tests of 12 for 159 against England to finish with 12 for 117 in the second Test against West Indies, helping Bangladesh clinch the series 2-0 in Mirpur yesterday.
"Both [10 wicket-hauls] were good but the first one against England was the turning point of my career and obviously I will put that ahead. I have gained a lot experience since then and now I am more matured. I know how to bowl on different wickets now but I had no experience when I made my debut," Mehedi told reporters after the innings-and-184-run win yesterday.
It was Mehedi who took nine wickets on the third day yesterday, which is also the most by a Bangladesh bowler in a day of Test cricket. It was also the first instance that all 40 wickets of a two-match Test series went to the spinners as Bangladesh surpassed their own record of 38 wickets against England in the same series where Mehedi first burst onto the scene.
West Indies resumed the third day on 75 for five wickets, three of which were picked by Mehedi on the previous day, and the off-spinner went on to pick four of the remaining five wickets to bowl out the West Indies for 111.
Mehedi removed overnight batsman Shimron Hetmyer with a return catch to start the procession and went added the wicket of Devendra Bishoo courtesy of a brilliant catch by Shadman Islam at silly point to register his five-wicket haul.
He then rattled through the tail as the visitors' innings lasted less than an hour with Mehedi picking seven for 58.
Mehedi started from where he left off in the second innings and bagged his second five-for of the game as the West Indies batsmen looked clueless against his accuracy and wiles.
He had Hetmyer, the only Caribbean batsman to display some sort of resistance with a 92-ball 93, caught at long off the left-hander tried to clobber his tenth six.
The cricketer from Khulna completed his seventh five-wicket haul of his career with a return catch off Jomel Warrican, the ninth wicket to fall, before Taijul Islam took the last wicket to bundle out West Indies for 213 runs just before tea.
Mehedi gave credit to injured Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal, who called the youngster and encouraged him after the youngster was disappointed at picking just three wickets in the first Test in Chattogram.
"Tamim bhai told me, 'we all know how good a bowler you are and your ability. You bowled well in the first Test and just keep that up.' Those words from Tamim bhai really encouraged me," he added.