Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson. England trumping Australia in what is now known as Botham’s Ashes. A 17-year-old unseeded Boris Becker winning Wimbledon in 1985. You get the drift. The enduring romance of a massive underdog triumph got its latest sequel in Mount Maunganui when Mominul Haque’s Bangladesh defeated reigning world Test champions New Zealand by eight wickets early on Wednesday morning.
The collective elation sweeping the cricket-mad nation when Mushfiqur Rahim--their highest run-getter in Tests--steered Kylie Jamieson behind point to complete the heist has been 21 years in the making. Bangladesh's Test status has been questioned often. They have forever flirted on the edge of being minnows and being considered a serious threat. Few would have given them a chance in this Test--they've never won a match in New Zealand in any format of cricket. Who would have bet on them beating the newly crowned world champion Test side? And do it without two of their most seasoned campaigners in Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan.
WATCH | Bangladesh hero Ebadot Hossain wins hearts with 'one of the best post-match interviews' of all time
And yet, when a volleyball player-turned-fast bowler brought them to the brink of the unthinkable on Tuesday, a nation dreamt. One can safely assume that the long night of anticipation was a sleepless one for Bangladeshis across the world--it certainly was for the captain, "I did not sleep at all last night," Mominul said after the win. But perhaps no one would have been more eager to take the field than Ebadot Hossain, whose first name aptly translates to "prayer".
{{/usCountry}}And yet, when a volleyball player-turned-fast bowler brought them to the brink of the unthinkable on Tuesday, a nation dreamt. One can safely assume that the long night of anticipation was a sleepless one for Bangladeshis across the world--it certainly was for the captain, "I did not sleep at all last night," Mominul said after the win. But perhaps no one would have been more eager to take the field than Ebadot Hossain, whose first name aptly translates to "prayer".
{{/usCountry}}A Bangladesh Air Force soldier, Hossain answered the wishes of his country in style, bringing out his signature salute six times in Kiwis’ second innings. His heroic effort not only restricted the hosts’ lead to 39 runs, but also put Bangladesh on course for their maiden win against New Zealand in their backyard in any format.
Prior to this match, New Zealand had not lost a Test on home soil since March 2017, when South Africa rode on Keshav Maharaj’s eight-wicket match haul to win by eight wickets. Since then, they went on a 17-Test unbeaten run against India, Pakistan, West Indies, England, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. This, quite simply, is New Zealand cricket’s best phase where they have finished runners-up in 50-over and 20-over formats and won the inaugural World Test Championship.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, have been a study in contrast. Since 2019, they had won just two Tests – both against Zimbabwe, the only team ranked below them. Their last two losses were an eight-wicket thumping and an innings and eight-run mauling, both at home against Pakistan. All their overseas wins had come against Zimbabwe and a strike-ridden West Indies, and they were yet to win a Test in a SENA country.
The Miracle of Mount Maunganui, thus, must be counted as their biggest win in any format. Bigger than white-ball upsets against Pakistan (1999) and Australia (2005). Bigger than knocking India out of the 2007 World Cup.
If this was an upset, it was arrived at through patience, consistency and grit. A month after being run over by Pakistan at home, their batters played 176.2 overs in New Zealand, their second-longest effort in terms of overs. It was also the longest a visiting team has batted in New Zealand since 2009, and only the second instance of Bangladesh batting more than 150 overs outside Asia.
They, alongside Australia, are the only teams to register four 400+ totals in New Zealand since 2010, indicating that when the stars, skills, and conditions align, Bangladesh can do something special.
"I think this is a sign of our improvement in Tests," Mominul said after the game. "I think we all wanted to do better in every department in Tests after the Pakistan series. We helped each other. The coaching staff was supportive. I think Mushfiq bhai, our most experienced player, was very emotionally involved. As a young captain, I get a lot of support from him. When we play as a team, we get the right result. I think that's the most important thing."
It's just that they don't get the right results with any kind of consistency. A reality check, however, can wait for now. This is Bangladesh cricket's moment of real magic.