Travel  |  Business World  |  Women's World  |  Entertainment

Change Your Life!

Bulbul's history: Next to world's 1st test in 1877

News
Sports
Chat
Travel
Dhaka Today
Yellow Pages
Higher Education
Ask a Doctor
Weather
Currency Rate
Horoscope
E-Cards
B2K Poll
Comment on the Site
B2K Club

November 12, 2000 

Dhaka-- (UNB) – Former national skipper Aminul Islam Bulbul made a glorious mark in the history of world cricket scoring 145 runs on the second day of Bangladesh’s inaugural test against India at the Bangabandhu National Stadium yesterday (Saturday).

A right-handed middle order batsman, Bulbul, who led Bangladesh in their maiden World Cup campaign in England in 1999, played his superb innings with determination and patience as he faced 380 balls in 535 minutes. He hit 17 fours.

His resolute catching innings, however, came to a miserable end when caught by Indian pacer Javagal Srinath at mid-on as he miss-timed an Ajit Agarkar ball. But by then Bangladesh already amassed an impressive total of 385 for 9.

Bulbul entered the history book of world cricket making the second highest individual score of 145 runs in maiden test of any elite country since test cricket was introduced in 1877.

Australian opener Charles Bannerman top the list with an unbeaten 165 runs against England in March 1877 at the Melbourne Club ground. Dave Houghton of Zimbabwe went down to third position with 121 runs scored against India in 1992 at the Harare SCG.

After the day’s excellent innings, Bulbul was fully satisfied with his performance and said: “I am very, very happy as my dream came true.”

He said he tried his best to follow the instruction of the team management to stay long at the crease. “I am happy to perform my duty.”

Replying to a question, Bulbul told newsmen: “It was my best innings so far, but I want to do better in future.”

For his outstanding performance, Bulbul is now set to receive a lucrative prize of Tk 300,000 announced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Tk 200,000 from the National Sports Council and Tk 100,000 from team manager.

Bulbul not only wrote his name in golden letters in the history of Bangladesh cricket by scoring the highest runs at any level of the game, but also guided the country to pile up the second highest team total of 400 in maiden test by any elite country.

Zimbabwe dominates the list hammering 456 runs against India in their inaugural test in 1992 in Harare that ended in a draw.

With the day’s feat, Bulbul created a new era in the country’s cricket. He bettered Habibul Bashar Sumon’s first class cricket record of 143 runs against England A team in 1999 in Chittagong and Mehrab Hossain Opee’s ODI record of 101 runs against Zimbabwe in Dhaka in 1999, the lone ODI century for Bangladesh.

Bulbul, who made 759 runs in 37 ODI matches (average 23.71), including three ODI half-centuries - two against India (69, 70) and one against West Indies (66), hit his previous best first class score of 113 runs against MCC team early this year in Dhaka.

His previous career best score in international match was 121 runs against England A team in Dhaka 1995 in the longer version cricket. However, this was not recognized as first class cricket.

A cricketer of Bangladesh Biman in the domestic cricket, Bulbul from old part of Dhaka emerged as the first century maker of the country and the third in the test family in the maiden test.

Earlier, this (Saturday) noon, Bulbul reached the landmark of 100 runs with a single pushing a Murali Kartik delivery to short square leg. His century came from 282 balls in 390 minutes that featured 13 boundaries when the score board showed 281 for 6 in 111.1 overs.

Bulbul’s 145-run innings was the fourth highest in test cricket on Dhaka soil out of the eleven matches held in the city since 1955-56 season.

Ijaz Ahmed of Pakistan topped the scorer list making 211 runs against Sri Lanka in 1998-99, followed by Inzamamul Haq of Pakistan with 200 runs against Sri Lanka, also in 1998-99, and G Fuller of England with 165 runs against Pakistan in 1961-62.