And what is the most ducks a team has made in a T20 they won?

Steven Lynch23-Nov-2021Are there any pairs in international cricket who haven’t ever batted with each other despite playing lots of matches together? asked Noor Alameen from Bangladesh
There are runaway leaders on this unusual list: Sanath Jayasuriya played 408 international matches with Muthiah Muralidaran, but never once batted with him. Some current pairings come next, who still have power to add to the list (or escape it entirely): Martin Guptill has so far played 141 internationals on the same side as Trent Boult, but never batted with him. India’s Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have also had 141 matches together; next come Jason Roy and Adil Rashid, with 139 for England.Jayasuriya and Murali are also the clear leaders in Tests alone, with 94: next come Herschelle Gibbs and Makhaya Ntini with 64, Alastair Cook and Graeme Swann with 60 (Swann’s entire Test career), and Rohan Kanhai and Lance Gibbs with 58.Since ESPNcricinfo started computing win percentages, which team won with the lowest win percentage at any stage of the game? asked Umar from the United States
The ESPNcricinfo Forecaster was introduced in April 2019, and has been used for 141 T20 internationals since then. The lowest win probability from which a chasing team has won is 3.8%, in Zimbabwe’s victory over Scotland in Edinburgh in September 2021. Chasing 179, Zimbabwe were 74 for 3 at the end of the 12th over, needing another 104 from the last eight – and got there.But the earliest in an innings when the win percentage for a successful chasing team has gone below 10% was in the match between Australia and India in Bengaluru in February 2019. After 4.5 overs, Australia were 25 for 2, needing another 166 from 91 balls. Their win probability, according to the Forecaster, was just 6.6%. But they did it, mainly thanks to a 50-ball century from Glenn Maxwell.In a similar case in Hyderabad in December 2019, India were 35 for 1 after 4.5 overs, needing 173 more from 91 balls – and the win forecast had them at just 8%. But Virat Kohli cracked 94 not out, and India won quite comfortably in the end, with no fewer than eight balls to spare.If you’re expecting an explanation of the system, look away now: according to Shiva Jayaraman of the stats team, “It’s a complex machine language-driven algorithm which I wouldn’t be able to explain even if I wanted to.”Has anyone been stuck on 99 in their debut T20 international, or an ODI? asked Michael Bailey from England
No one has yet scored 99 in their first T20 international, but Ricky Ponting was marooned on 98 not out in the first ever such match, against New Zealand in Auckland in 2004-05. Ponting never did make a century in a T20 international.In all T20 cricket, the Haryana opener Mukul Dagar was stuck on 99 not out in his first such match, against Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Delhi in October 2010. That remains his highest score in T20 matches.How many runs did Eoin Morgan make in his debut ODI?•International Cricket CouncilTwo men have recorded a score of 99 in their first one-day international. The first was 19-year-old Eoin Morgan, who had the misfortune to be run out one short of his hundred on his debut for Ireland, against Scotland in Ayr in 2006. Then, in a World Cup qualifier in Lincoln (New Zealand) in February 2014, the UAE wicketkeeper Swapnil Patil ended up with 99 not out in his first match, also against Scotland.Zimbabwe had six ducks against West Indies in a T20 international in 2010 – but still won. Has anyone bettered this? asked Jameel Maynard from Trinidad & Tobago
Zimbabwe scraped together 105 in that match, on a difficult pitch in Port-of-Spain in February 2010, but then restricted West Indies to 79 for 7 in their 20 overs.No team has won a senior T20 match after suffering more than six ducks, but two other sides have won despite six: Lahore Lions (113) beat Peshawar Panthers (79) in a Faysal Bank T20 Cup match in Rawalpindi, in Pakistan, in March 2012; and Mumbai (155) beat Punjab (120) in India’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Indore in February 2019.The most ducks in any men’s T20 innings is eight, by Turkey in their total of 21 against Czech Republic (who had earlier smashed 278 for 4) in Ilfov County, Romania, in August 2019. For the full list, click here.In women’s T20 internationals, there were nine ducks in Mali’s record low total of 6 (five extras) against Rwanda in Kigali in June 2019. There were also nine in Maldives’ innings of 8 (seven of them wides) against Nepal in Pokhara six months later. For that list, click here.Who’s the only man to hit the winning runs, take the winning catch, and coach a winning side in the 50-over World Cup? asked Daniel Hendry from Australia
This much-medalled player is Australia’s Darren Lehmann. In 1999, he hit the winning runs – a four off Saqlain Mushtaq – as Australia hurtled past Pakistan’s modest total of 132 in the World Cup final at Lord’s. Four years later, Lehmann caught Zaheer Khan off Glenn McGrath to seal another trophy, in Johannesburg. And then, in March 2015, Lehmann was the successful coach as Australia beat New Zealand in the World Cup final in Melbourne.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

That apart, the defending champions look a strong unit packed with experience and batting depth

Deivarayan Muthu24-Mar-2022

Where they finished in 2021

Champions, after finishing second from bottom in IPL 2020.

Potential first XI

1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Robin Uthappa, 3 Moeen Ali/Devon Conway, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Ravindra Jadeja (capt), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 MS Dhoni (wk), 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Rajvardhan Hangargekar, 10 Chris Jordan/Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Adam Milne

Availability

Chennai Super Kings’ pace spearhead Deepak Chahar is set to miss a large chunk of IPL 2022, if not more, with a quadriceps injury. The New Zealand trio of Devon Conway, Adam Milne and Mitchell Santner have been released from the national side for the forthcoming white-ball series against Netherlands and will be available to Super Kings for the entire IPL. South Africa’s Dwaine Pretorius, though, will miss their opening game, since he is involved in a white-ball series at home against Bangladesh. Moeen Ali, who was vital to Super Kings’ success last season, is a doubtful starter for their opener against Kolkata Knight Riders, having failed to secure the visa necessary to travel to India for the IPL.Chennai Super Kings squad for IPL 2022•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Batting

Super Kings’ batting line-up wears a familiar look, with depth all the way up to No. 11 Milne – who has four first-class fifties and one List A half-century. However, there is no Faf du Plessis at the top and there might be no Moeen in the middle order for their opening game.If Super Kings prefer to fill the Chahar-sized hole with an overseas player, then Robin Uthappa, one of the heroes in their triumph last season, will partner Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top. In the likely absence of Moeen, Super Kings could hand an IPL debut to New Zealand batter Conway, who is rated highly by head coach Stephen Fleming. Ravindra Jadeja and Ambati Rayudu’s attacking intent and experience will once again be central to Super Kings posting or chasing above-par totals. Jadeja has also been elevated to captain after MS Dhoni stepped down from the role. The addition of Shivam Dube, the hard-hitting Mumbai allrounder, lends more heft to the middle order.Super Kings are usually averse to meddling with their combination, but they have fairly decent back-ups in the Tamil Nadu pair of N Jagadeesan and C Hari Nishaanth who have been with the squad for the past few years. Should Super Kings need them, or Odisha captain Subhranshu Senapati, at some point, they can fall back on their experience of practicing on the red-soil pitches in Surat in the lead-up to this season.

Bowling

Chahar’s injury has shaken up the bowling attack, but Super Kings have plenty of other pace-bowling options – both local and overseas. Tushar Deshpande and Mukesh Choudhary have already had stints at Super Kings as net bowlers while Chris Jordan and Pretorius are multidimensional players although neither are powerplay specialists. A left-field option to replace Chahar is Sri Lanka’s mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana, who often fronts up to bowl in the powerplay.New Zealand quick Milne, who can pound the deck with extra pace or bowl cutters into it, will likely operate in the middle overs and death as a ‘shock’ bowler, which Josh Hazlewood has done for Super Kings in the recent past. Dwayne Bravo is no longer the T20 phenom that he once was, and has also retired from internationals, but Super Kings still value his experience. Jordan is also prone to leaking runs at the death – he has conceded 9.67 runs an over during this phase in all T20 cricket since the 2016 World Cup.Rajvardhan Hangargekar boasts serious pace as well as lower-order muscle•ICC/Getty ImagesAnother cause for concern is the lack of a potent wristspinner. One-T20-old Prashant Solanki is the only wristspinner in the roster, having been picked on potential after impressing the team management at the nets last season. Having said that, Super Kings won the last IPL without using Karn Sharma’s legspin and he played Imran Tahir in just one game.

Young player to watch out for

It’s not often that the Super Kings splurge INR 1.5 crore (USD 200,000) on an unproven talent. This time, however, with an eye to the future, they bid aggressively for Rajvardhan Hangargekar to eventually snatch him from Mumbai Indians’ grasp. A raw allrounder in the mould of Hardik Pandya, Hangargekar could potentially start the tournament for Super Kings, especially in the injury-enforced absence of Chahar.The 19-year-old can hit 140kph with the ball and can also muscle sixes lower down the order, traits that also attracted the interest of Lucknow Super Giants at the auction. Fresh from winning the Under-19 World Cup in the Caribbean, he is preparing to take the next big step in his career, under Dhoni’s mentorship.

Coaching staff

Stephen Fleming (head coach), Michael Hussey (batting coach), L Balaji (bowling coach), Eric Simons (bowling consultant), Rajiv Kumar (fielding coach), Tommy Simsek (physiotherapist)

Poll

With 55 out of the 70 league-stage matches being held in and around Mumbai, ESPNcricinfo chalks out some trends at each of the four venues

Gaurav Sundararaman23-Mar-20227:07

Harshal Patel explains his bowling mantra on red soil pitches

A total of 55 out of the 70 league-stage matches in the upcoming IPL will be played across three venues in and around Mumbai – Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium, and DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai – which are all made of red soil. The fourth venue, the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, is a black-soil surface.What is the impact of red soil vs black soil? Will dew play a big role? How will the open-air grounds like Pune and those like Wankhede and Brabourne, which are adjacent to the Arabian Sea, have an impact on bowlers? With the IPL being played in peak summer across limited venues, will the pitches get slower by the time we reach the second half?ESPNcricinfo digs out the key numbers at these venues to chalk out some of the trends observed in the past and that could once again be prevalent this IPL. Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Key Stats

ESPNcricinfo LtdWin the toss, field first and use the dew. That seems to be the mantra to win at the Wankhede. Short boundaries and dew are likely to play a big role here. We can expect aggressive batters and fast and/or swing bowlers to dominate. Quicks have taken close to 73% of the wickets here in the last 20 games.Related

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As for the red-soil surface, former India fast bowler and Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra and current India quick Harshal Patel, who is with Royal Challengers Bangalore, agree that it will have ample bounce. Both Nehra and Harshal feel the surface could be utilised by the fast bowlers to make an impact considering the carry would be good. Nehra pointed out that aggressive strike bowlers can easily take quick wickets in the powerplay to neutralise the damage that batters could potentially carry out in the latter half of the innings: “With the new ball you have seen bowlers take two or three wickets in the first three overs, which you don’t see in Chennai or Hyderabad. You have to capitalise upfront. If you are bowling well you will get your reward”. Brabourne stadium, Mumbai Key Stats

Powerplay bowling stats at Wankhede•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe numbers don’t tell us much since Brabourne has not hosted a competitive T20 match since 2015. However, similar to the Wankhede Stadium, it remains a high-scoring surface, considering the base is red soil.”The biggest characteristic of red-soil pitches is the bounce it offers and whenever there is bounce the ball tends to travel further,” Harshal said. “It can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. I suspect in the latter half of the tournament it will start turning because of the sheer number of games being played and the heat.” The outfield at Brabourne is quick and the boundaries are much larger than the Wankhede. Spinners could be more relevant here compared to the Wankhede. DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai The last IPL game held here was in 2011 and there has been no professional T20 match here since then. The ground was used as a football ground over the last two years. There is not much data and teams would be looking closely to see how pitches are playing to devise plans. The boundary sizes, though, are pretty big compared to the other venues in Mumbai.Wristspinners in Pune•ESPNcricinfo Ltd MCA Stadium, Pune Key Stats

Pune has hosted many IPL matches in the past but barring one T20I in 2020 , the venue has not hosted any T20 game since 2018. Unlike the stadiums in Mumbai, the pitch in Pune is made up of black soil. The venue also has shorter boundaries compared to Brabourne. Spinners could play a big role in day games here as they have conceded only 6.78 runs per over and strike once every 23 balls. Among the four IPL venues this year in the league stage, we could see spinners come into play the earliest at Pune compared to the other three venues.

India suffered their worst collapse in the first-ten overs since the 2019 World Cup semi-final

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Jul-20223:54

Rohit: Want batters to take the game on and see if they can find something different about their own game

The chatter around Lord’s on Thursday morning – at the ground and on social media – was about pleasant memories of two historic matches played at the venue. For Indian fans, it was the 2002 NatWest Trophy triumph. For the locals, it was the iconic 2019 World Cup final, when Eoin Morgan’s England pipped Kane Williamson’s New Zealand by the barest of margins three years to the day.A lot of Indian fans would remember that time for a different reason. Three days earlier, in the first semi-final at Old Trafford, India’s top order had collapsed against New Zealand. They were reduced to 24 for 4 in the first ten overs.Related

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Several batters from that match were at Lord’s on Thursday and they suffered a strangely similar fate. After the first powerplay, India were 28 for 3, their lowest score in that phase since the World Cup semi-final. At 31 for 4, when Virat Kohli was dismissed, it was earliest India had lost their first four wickets since that match three years ago.A topic that has generated some debate recently is the relevance of ODI cricket. While there are some areas, including the playing conditions, that need a relook to bring more balance to the 50-over game, one straightforward fix is to make pitches that give the bowlers more of a chance in a batter-dominated format. And that’s what we’ve witnessed in the first two matches of this series.At The Oval on Tuesday, a green pitch combined with humid and cloudy conditions helped Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami skittle a powerful England batting line-up. In contrast, India’s openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan chased down the target of 111 effortlessly.Yet two days later, Rohit and Dhawan were unable to replicate that success, both showing vulnerability in demanding conditions. Rohit was late to cover the line of a delivery from Reece Topley that moved in slightly to hit his front knee, while Dhawan was uncomfortable against the tight line of the deliveries England’s bowlers fired at his ribs. For a while Dhawan tried to counter by jumping out of his crease to negate any movement, but that plan proved unsuccessful as he gloved a catch to the wicketkeeper down the leg side.Rishabh Pant was dismissed spooning a full toss straight to mid-on, and the batter who had hit an audacious century in the Edgbaston Test, walked off shaking his head. The absence of two crucial elements in Pant’s limited-overs game – the freedom with which he bats in Test cricket and the instinct for that unthinkable shot – is a problem neither he nor the team management have managed to crack.As for Kohli, he started with a flourish but once again made a mistake that is becoming far too common for his liking: pushing at a delivery he could have safely left. He now has one more innings to try and find his form before taking a break from the tour of the West Indies.

“I want these guys to take the game on and see if they can find something different about their own game rather than looking at the team’s role. If they get the team out of that situation imagine the confidence they are going to get from that.”Rohit Sharma wants India’s batters to change their mindset and be positive

The two-paced pitch presented a challenge for the batters and England’s well-executed plans made India’s task tougher. Suffocating lines, unwavering lengths and attacking fields set by England captain Jos Buttler confronted the Indians to think differently.And that – to think differently – is something Rohit said India needed to do when faced with high-pressure situations, going as far back as the 2017 Champions Trophy final against Pakistan, when they were reduced to 72 for 6 in a huge chase at The Oval.”It has happened for us on a few occasions now,” Rohit said after the defeat at Lord’s. “We’ve spoken about that a lot, it has happened not just in the 2019 World Cup, but also in the Champions Trophy and few other games as well where we were put under pressure, we lost wickets and we were 20 for 3 or 40 for 4.”That is where I want guys to change their mindset a little bit and try to be a little positive, extra positive and try and take the game on. Because I know the target is small, you are chasing 230, 240, but is there another way that you can take when you are chasing a target like that? Is there something different you can do as a batting unit? And I think so, yes, you can.”Does that mean Rohit wants his batters to play with the attacking intent they showed during the T20I series victory against England? “That is where I want these guys to take the game on and see if they can find something different about their own game … If they get the team out of that situation, imagine the confidence they are going to get from that. It is something that has been spoken about, but it depends on the individual at that moment as well. That is where the role of the management comes into play – to ask them to play freely and show them that what they are trying in the middle is absolutely right.”With the series level at 1-1 and the decider looming on Sunday, India have one more opportunity to put their captain’s words into practice, as they head to Manchester for the first time since that World Cup semi-final three years ago.

The New Zealand quick on his road ahead, learning from the likes of Shami and Joseph, bowling to Buttler in the IPL, and more

Interview by Deivarayan Muthu09-Jul-2022You had a bit of a break after winning the IPL and then tuned up at Headingley in the lead-up to the Ireland trip. What’s your rhythm like?
Yeah, Yorkshire got through to the [Vitality T20 Blast] finals. Been watching them and it’s been exciting. A good mate of mine, Finn [Allen] played for them this year and he absolutely loved it. I certainly had a good time there last year and it was nice to get a break from cricket obviously and then get my bowling in and go to see the Black Caps boys at Headingley. But yeah, it [the rhythm] is good. I’ve had a month off without playing cricket, but I’ve been training through and enjoying some time away with my girlfriend, which has been great. But, yeah, definitely back into work mode now and nice to be here in Ireland for the first time before we start on Sunday.The last ODI you played was at the start of the pandemic in Australia in 2020, when you had a Covid-19 scare
It wasn’t really a Covid scare. It was just the process and the protocols… I didn’t have it then, but have got it twice since. Obviously, we haven’t played a lot of one-day cricket [in the recent past], but having said that I played most of the Ford Trophy in New Zealand and yeah, we had a great tournament and got across the line with a win.It was nice to bowl with the new ball there, so I [personally] feel like it hasn’t been too long since I played some one-day cricket. And then I had quite a big stint at the IPL. So, yeah, just feels nice to come after this break and we have a pretty young, exciting squad, with a lot of the Test players going home. And this Ireland team is incredibly strong at home and there’s no doubt that they will be firing on all cylinders.Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips are among those exciting players in your side. Having closely followed their progress, what is your assessment of the two potential ODI debutants?
Those two boys have played all around the world and they have done well. So, I’m sure coming to Ireland – although it’s probably a new place to play – they are pretty settled in their cricket. I guess they’re excited at the opportunity to potentially play some one-day cricket for New Zealand, but looking across the whole squad perhaps, it’s not the exact faces you remember, but as a group, we haven’t played a huge amount of one-day cricket for a couple of years. So it’s quite hard to nail down what the team might be, but it’s a great opportunity for some young batters to put their hands up as we go into more one-day cricket and then the [ODI] World Cup next year that they’ll be aiming for, just as much as me, to try and be part of that squad.Ferguson on missing the T20 World Cup last year: “But such is life, and I have good motivation going forward to keep myself fit”•Getty ImagesCan you recall your way back after sustaining the calf injury in the UAE?
Probably one of the tough injuries, mostly because it was only a small tear that somewhat healed quickly – I played the India series straight after the T20 World Cup. It pretty much put me out for two-three weeks of that. But, such is life, and I have good motivation going forward to keep myself as fit as possible because I obviously want to play as many World Cups as possible.But, at the time it was exciting for the Black Caps to go all the way and have a chance to raise a trophy. It wasn’t our day in the final, but it was nice to be along the journey.As for rehab, to be honest, because it was a small tear, it kind of came back pretty quick and then you have so much experience in Tommy Simsek (physio) and Chris Donaldson (trainer) and they give you a lot of faith in coming back to playing quickly. Of course, they didn’t push me, but, yeah, the rehab process went well and I’m very well looked after by the Black Caps set-up – one of the best in the world for sure. It was nice to come back into the T20I squad for India [tour] and then back home [for domestic cricket] after quite a big stint away.You were bowling rockets during the Ford Trophy. How much will that stint help you get into the groove for the upcoming ODIs?
As much as any. Potentially, my biggest development was probably leadership within that group. Going back and actually having an extended period with the Auckland side. Obviously, you’ve got a lot of young bowlers and young players who are part of that squad and we had a tough Super Smash. But, having said that, I thought the bowling attack was very good throughout the Super Smash. Probably, it was one of those tournaments, where we couldn’t quite get the runs, which happens.But, yeah, I guess the leadership part of the squad and trying to lead from the front actually helped develop my game a lot more because it made me think in depth about my role going forward. So, if anything, I developed my game even more and it gave me an opportunity to reflect on where I was with my T20 cricket and one-day cricket and also to try out some new things. Bowling with the new ball was great fun with Ben Lister who, I think, is knocking on the doors for higher honours the way he’s been bowling; so, yeah, it was a good couple of months [with Auckland]. Obviously, with Covid being what it was last year, I was away from home for about eight months, so was just having some time in my own bed (laughs). It’s always nice to see family and friends and things like that.It was disappointing that there wasn’t much one-day cricket for Black Caps, but such is life, and the benefit of it was more time at home.Related

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Can you elaborate on the leadership role at Auckland?
Look, I have very close ties with the Auckland side. Every time I’m back [from New Zealand duties], I try to play for them, if I can. Even if I’m back for a few days, I can watch or go out there and chat with them. Even in the previous year, when I had a big injury, I was spending a lot of time with the younger bowlers.Certainly, when I was coming up through the ranks, people like Mitch McClenaghan and Michael Bates and Andrew Adams were super helpful for me. It wasn’t always about giving off the perfect advice, it was about just rebounding ideas and giving them someone to talk to about their bowling. It can be a tough job at times, particularly white-ball cricket, but, if anything, I was just trying to talk to the players and make them realise that when things don’t go your way, it’s not always because of how you’re bowling. It’s just the way the game rolls sometimes and the most important thing is, of course, [focusing] on the next ball or the next game and it was just nice to work with the team.Of course, we had great success in the one-dayers and they took that through to the four-day cricket as well and won the Plunket Shield. So, it’s going to be another exciting season for the Auckland team. With a new coach Doug Watson and with Luke Wright around – he’s now here with the Black Caps – we’re going from strength to strength. So, I can say, [it is] worth keeping an eye on some of those players. I think some of them will be playing in Black Caps colours not too far away.Lockie Ferguson has thrived in a leadership role at Auckland•Getty ImagesFormer Auckland coach Heinrich Malan is now in charge of the Ireland side. He’s currently down with Covid-19, but how exciting is the prospect of going against him at some point on this tour?
Yeah, it’s great for him to coach an international side. I’m sure he’s very excited at the prospect, but he will say a few words at the ground. But as I said, it’s going to be an exciting few weeks for us playing against Ireland and they’ve played some amazing cricket up till now, with a reasonably settled team. They have the home-team advantage and I’m sure, they will all be fizzing and ready to go.It is a new beginning of sorts for Adam Milne as well, having recovered from the injury he sustained at the IPL. You’ve played just two white-ball internationals together for New Zealand. Are you looking forward to bowling in tandem with another genuine quick?
Milne has had a tough career with injuries – he’ll explain it better. That’s part of the job and unfortunately, these things happen, but his attitude and the positivity he brings into the team each time is…there’s no better. Everyone knows I’m a huge fan of fast bowling, so getting one of our fastest bowlers in the country back in the mix and jumping onto the field with him is going to be great.I think he did so well at the T20 World Cup [in the UAE]. With my injury, although it’s tough to watch from the sidelines, I was very happy for him for how well he did. It’s exciting for New Zealand cricket that we’ve got the depth for someone like Milne to come back into the squad and he’s absolutely chomping to get out there and perform. I’ve got no doubts he’ll do exactly that.It’s going to be a good few weeks. We’ve got a decent stint now as a squad together for Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands tour. I’m sure you will see some special stuff from him and definitely, yeah, great to have him back in the mix.

Bangladesh batter urges younger players to raise the bar after he became the first from the country to hit 5000 Test runs

Mohammad Isam18-May-2022When the moment finally arrived for Mushfiqur Rahim, he actually withdrew from the shot. It had been an absorbing first hour of play in steaming Chattogram, where the heat was over 40 degrees. The wait was for Mushfiqur to score 15 runs to become Bangladesh’s first cricketer to reach 5000 Test runs. There was the odd quip about how Tamim Iqbal could overtake him. Tamim had retired hurt on 133 after cramping up on the second afternoon, and he was padded up to bat next.But after facing 47 balls, an Asitha Fernando delivery shaved Mushfiqur’s gloves to go past the wicketkeeper. While he was completing the two runs, the big screen on the western side announced what had just happened. Mushfiqur’s celebration was mostly muted, raising his bat just once.A milestone of 5000 runs stopped mattering a long time ago, but Bangladesh’s Test cricket is only 20 years old. So in this Test nation’s context, this goes down in history as one of Bangladesh’s seminal achievements. Mushfiqur, the 81-Test veteran, is very much aware of the significance of the moment. At the end of the day, he passed on the figurative baton to young Mahmudul Hasan Joy, a promising opener playing in his fifth game.Related

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“We were cutting the celebratory cake in the dressing room just now and I fed a piece to Joy,” Mushfiqur said. “I told him, you are the youngest batsman now. I hope you will score 10000 runs, and feed the next guy in line. Hopefully the younger players can double up on what we will leave behind. It is a great feeling to become the first Bangladeshi to reach 5000 Test runs. I am sure I won’t be the last one. There’ll be a lot of capable players among us who can reach 8000 or 10000 runs.”At a more immediate level, Mushfiqur beat Tamim to the 5000-run mark despite being behind him on the second day. But Tamim cramping up on 133 sent him to the dressing room on the second afternoon. Reaching 4981, Tamim was poised to be the first to the milestone. Instead, he clapped from the dressing room on the third morning, padded up. Mushfiqur was magnanimous in his praise for Tamim, reminding everyone of how they kept beating each other in getting Bangladesh’s highest Test score.

“Records are meant to be broken. I was so happy when Tamim broke my highest individual score. He told me then that within next two or three years, I will end up breaking his record again”Mushfiqur on how he and Tamim push each other to their best

“He congratulated me. He knew he was close. He knows these things. He joked that he couldn’t get there, I did. I feel happier when a brother, team-mate or a friend achieves something.”Records are meant to be broken. I was so happy when Tamim broke my highest individual score. He told me then that within next two or three years, I will end up breaking his record again. It is a healthy competition, and this is how we as team-mates help each other.”Tamim and Mushfiqur have exchanged the position as Bangladesh’s leading Test scorer various times over the years. Tamim had overtaken Habibul Bashar in 2015, before Mushfiqur surpassed Tamim in February 2020. However, Tamim regained his place in April last year. Mushfiqur returned to the top in November, before Tamim’s 133 got him ahead in this game.These two go back a long way, to age-group camp days in BKSP, the revered sporting institute where Mushfiqur was a student, and Tamim an outsider. They have played 330 international matches together, played under each other and generally been through a lot together in the last 15 years.They are a bit like the Sri Lankan pair of Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva, who played 322 matches together from their earliest days as a Test team. de Silva beat Ranatunga to the 5000-run mark by two years but both are considered the pioneers of Sri Lankan cricket. Mushfiqur and Tamim have the same recognition, as pioneers.Mushfiqur Rahim performs the sajda after completing his century•AFP/Getty ImagesBut unlike the Sri Lankan legends, Tamim and Mushfiqur’s work is not over. Even 15 years into playing together, Bangladesh needed them in the first Test after twin batting disasters in South Africa. Tamim was part of a 162-run opening stand – Bangladesh’s first in five years – but when he had to leave the middle due to cramps, Mushfiqur had to stick around. His 165-run fourth wicket stand with Litton Das took Bangladesh out of trouble. It turned out to be the first time that Bangladesh had two 150-plus partnerships in a Test innings.”It was a bit hot. Our team goal was to get as close as possible to their score. We couldn’t take a big enough lead but that’s due to their fast bowlers who bowled well on this wicket. I am happy that we batted well, after fielding for two days,” Mushfiqur said.Sri Lanka is Mushfiqur’s most viable opponent, as he is one of two Bangladeshi batters to score more than 1000 Test runs against them. But Mushfiqur said that Sri Lanka’s attitude of preying on a batter’s patience makes them a unique attack.”Generally, it is not that easy to score runs against Sri Lanka. Over the years they have had two quality bowlers in their attack. Even now. They don’t set over-attacking fields like England or Australia. They want you to make a mistake while attacking.”Sri Lanka try to play with your patience. They dry up the runs, forcing you to make a mistake. I think there’s always the extra challenge of tiring them out, by playing a long innings and putting together partnerships.”This was Mushfiqur’s first Test hundred in more than two years, and the first against Sri Lanka since 2013. He has scored just four half-centuries in his last ten Tests, averaging 32.43, and there have even been questions about his place in the T20I side since November.Mushfiqur, who was issued a show-cause notice by the BCB for criticising the selectors last year, was more restrained when asked about his future following this landmark.”(What is being said about me) is not desirable for a player. Only in Bangladesh, you will get compared to Bradman when you score a century, but then when you don’t score runs, you feel like digging a hole for yourself.”I am one of the senior players so we are not going to be around for long. But this is becoming a culture, so the younger players need the support. If I have to spend so much time tackling these things off the field, our on-field duties get affected.”Mushfiqur was asked if considers himself lucky to be the first to two important milestones. He is Bangladesh’s first to 5000 runs ahead of Tamim, who was close to the mark. He was also Bangladesh’s first to a double-hundred when Mohammad Ashraful, in the same innings in Galle in 2013, was out for 190 when Mushfiqur was on 157.Mushfiqur quoted the Quran to say that Allah looks after him, before walking off from the stage. “I don’t think it is luck. Look at my forehead. When I go to practice, most of you are sleeping in the morning. Allah looks over me. That’s all.”