‘Survival of the fittest,’ is what the great Charles Darwin had rightly suggested many moons ago when talking of the resilience and survival of the human species!
And at Darwin, venue of the ongoing Test match between Australia and Bangladesh, the visiting side’s classy batter Tanzid Hasan has shown that Bangladesh are, in fact, more than surviving; but thriving, as a matter of factly. And the question is, just how many saw this coming? Did you?
Just who would have thought that at the conclusion of the Second day’s play of the first Test match of the two game series currently being held in Australia that it would be Bangladesh who’d enjoy their nose in front over that of their seemingly vapid and clueless looking hosts?
Thanks to a brilliant, maiden Test century that was as beautiful in conception as it was dogged in that it denied the likes of Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood an easy ride, the young left handed Bangladesh batter ensured that thanks to his gutsy batting his team are more than able to compete against such a ruthless oppotion.
But having said that an important question must be asked where it comes to Tanzid’s maiden test match century for Bangladesh.
It’s the very fact that does this century seem too surprising in the way it came because if you look at his recent numbers, you will find that he was in striking form where the white ball contests against Zimbabwe were concerned.
In his previous or most recent 4 outings are concerned, then, it could be found that Tanzid Hasan Tamim produced knocks like- 66*, 58, 16 and 94 in the T20Is while the knock in the nineties, so terribly short of a deserving century coming in an one day international.
Having said that, here’s what makes the batting effort of the young 25 year old unique and worthy of everyone’s respect, irrespective of whether someone is a die hard Bangladesh fan or not.
While it’s already a subject of immense pride but also big nerves when one gets to score a first time Test hundred, the batting effort commanding even more respect since it comes in cricket’s toughest format, what’s even more exceptional is to get one’s maiden ton away from home comfort. Which is the case with the yet-to-turn 26 Bangladesh newcomer to Test cricket.
The bravery of the young lad
Tanzid’s fluidity, compact technique and alert presence at the wicket allowed Australia no easy day as he combined an appetite for fight with composure to seal a vital personal moment in a country where performances are subjected to microscopic assessment and achievements never easy to gather.
In the past decades or shall one say eras, we’ve seen the likes of Kohli, Lara, Dravid, Laxman, du Plessis and Kallis weighing in against Australia and making it count, but just how refreshing it is to see a young cricketer from Bangladesh coming up on top at Down Under whilst being on just his first-ever visit to the kangaroo land?