Tanzid Hasan Tamim scores historic century in Darwin Test against Australia, ending 23-year wait

The first match of the Test series between Australia and Bangladesh started on August 13 (Thursday) at Marara ground in Darwin. In the initial phase of this Test, Bangladesh's fast bowlers dominated. Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, and Ibadat Hossain created difficulties for the top order of the Australian team by utilizing favorable conditions.

However, the most attention was drawn to the unusual way Taskin Ahmed celebrated. This incident occurred in the 22nd over of the Australian innings. When Cameron Green attempted to play the last ball of that over on the left side of the field, the ball did not connect properly with the bat. The ball went towards mid-wicket, where the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim made no mistake in catching it.

After Cameron Green was dismissed, Taskin Ahmed began celebrating in a peculiar style. He stuck out his tongue and danced for several seconds. While teammates headed towards Mushfiqur to celebrate the wicket, Taskin's mannerism was captured by the camera. Video of this moment is quickly spreading on social media.

After a strong start, the Australian team began to lose momentum. Australian captain Pat Cummins decided to start batting after the toss. The opening batsmen played well, scoring 45 runs without loss. However, Bangladesh then powerfully regained its position.

Jack Weatherald, who is from Darwin, received full support from local fans, but he lost his wicket trying to hit a strong delivery bowled by Hasan Mahmud. He scored 23 runs off 37 balls. In the next over, Hasan sent dangerous Travis Head (22 runs) to the pavilion. Head connected with his shots, and Australia's score quickly increased from 45/0 to 52/2.

Ibadat Hossain also put pressure on Bangladesh. He caused Marnus Labuschagne (1 run) to be caught by Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. Ibadat had the opportunity to dismiss Steve Smith, but his catch in the third slip was missed. Smith took advantage of this chance. Meanwhile, after Green was dismissed shortly before the lunch break, Australia's score reached 74/4. For the Bangladeshi team, which has been on Australian soil for almost two decades, it would be hard to imagine a better start to the session.

Australia fielded a strong attacking lineup. Besides captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were responsible for fast bowling, and experienced off-spinner Nathan Lyon was also in the squad. Cummins is playing in his second Test in the last 13 months.

In the T20 era, where the style of play has changed and batsmen have learned to score faster thanks to the popularity of powerful shots, and fitness and technique levels have risen, the world of cricket has gone through an entire era from 1997 to 2026. However, one record remains unchanged—the fortress of 952 runs.

Twenty-nine years ago, the Sri Lankan team set an incredible record in Test cricket that no other team has managed to surpass to this day. The match, which began on August 2, 1997, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo between Sri Lanka and India, witnessed India first scoring 537/8 after declaring their innings. Captain Sachin Tendulkar scored 143 runs, Mohammad Azharuddin scored 126, and Navjot Singh Sidhu scored 111. At that time, a score over 500 was considered a very strong performance.

But what happened after the completion of the Indian innings turned this match into one of the most outstanding events in cricket history. Sri Lanka came out onto the field and started scoring runs, and instead of wickets falling, records were broken. The score climbed: 300, 400, 500, 600... The game of the Sri Lankan batsmen did not stop. In the end, after 271 overs, the score reached 952 for the loss of 6 wickets, after which the innings was declared. In fact, on the fifth day, Sri Lanka played not for victory, but to create a historical moment. During the transition from 587/1 on the fourth day to 952/6 on the fifth day, the team added 365 runs.

To date, this score remains the highest team total in Test cricket. Following it are 903/7 by England, 849 by England, and 823/7 against Pakistan in 2024. Thus, almost three decades later, 952 remains the leader.

However, the story of 952 runs is not just a tale of a large score; it contains statistical data that is still difficult to accept. Sanath Jayasuriya personally scored 340 runs, playing 578 balls, with his innings including 36 fours and two sixes. Roshan Mahanama scored 225 runs off 561 balls. These two added 576 runs for the second wicket. This partnership of 576 runs is still a world record for the second wicket. Moreover, it is the largest partnership in any wicket in Test cricket history, only surpassed by one match: in 2006, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene added 624 runs for the third wicket against South Africa in Colombo (SSC).

Thus, the partnership of Jayasuriya and Mahanama for 576 runs is the second-largest partnership in Test cricket history. Imagine: one batsman scores 340 runs, another reaches 225, and together they score 576 runs. After this, Arvind D Silva added 126 runs. The total score of the Sri Lankan team was 952 runs. Sri Lanka created a Test cricket record that has stood for 29 years. This is where the true mystery of 952 begins.

Is it possible to reach 1000 runs in modern cricket? The question becomes even more interesting in the current era. T20 cricket has made the game more aggressive, allowing batsmen to send the ball over the boundary more easily. The rate of scoring has also increased in many situations compared to 1997.

Before the Test series against Australia, the Bangladeshi team found itself in a difficult position. In a three-day friendly match held at the Maura Cricket Ground in Darwin against Cricket Australia XI, Bangladesh suffered a crushing defeat by one innings and 38 runs.

The team's performance in the lower order caused even greater concern. In the second innings, the Bangladeshi players managed to score only 54 runs, leading to the match concluding before the start of the third day's session, specifically on August 8th.

The main problem for the Bangladeshi players was their inability to cope with fast bowling in the Australian climate. Left-arm fast bowler Campbell Thomson from the Cricket Australia XI made a sensation. The 22-year-old Thomson took 8 wickets for just 25 runs. Notably, Thomson had played only one first-class match in his career.

On the third day, Bangladesh started its second innings, losing two wickets, but this was followed by a rapid succession of wickets, preventing the team from reaching the lunch break. The remaining eight batsmen were dismissed in just 17 overs. Opener Tanzid Hasan scored 22 runs, while no player reached the ten-run mark. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was dismissed via LBW without scoring a run. Thomson initially dismantled the core and middle order of the Bangladeshis, taking the first five wickets. Following him, off-spinner Corey Rocchickoli dismissed one batsman. Then Thomson regained control, taking the last two wickets consecutively and ending the Bangladesh innings.

The difficulties faced by the Bangladeshi batsmen were evident in the first innings as well. Although the top order could not play long innings, Mehdi Hasan Miraj, who batted at number seven, scored a hundred, taking the team to 263 runs. In the first innings, Corey Rocchickoli was responsible for putting pressure on the Bangladeshis, taking six wickets. Thus, in both innings of the friendly match, Bangladesh faced challenges against different types of bowling: first off-spin, and then left-arm fast bowling, which damaged the batting order.

Cricket Australia XI scored 355 runs in the first innings, thanks to a century by Tiga Wiley (130 runs). In the first innings, Bangladesh was also impressed by Hasan Mahmud, who took four wickets for 42 runs. After his outstanding performance, Thomson stated: 'Sometimes you are lucky. Today everything was in my favour, which is good. Playing a few days before the Test series against the Test team is a fantastic experience and opportunity.'

With the conclusion of the friendly match, the Bangladeshi team has only four days to work on its weaknesses. The team will begin the first Test against Australia in Darwin on August 13th, and the second match of the series is scheduled for August 22nd in Mackay. Bangladesh's path in the Test series will not be easy, as Australia possesses experienced fast bowlers such as Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood.