On the opening day of Bangladesh’s Test match against India in Chennai, Hasan Mahmud stood out with his disciplined fast bowling, claiming four crucial wickets. Mahmud’s mastery of line and length helped Bangladesh limit India to a manageable total, especially in the early stages. He became the first overseas fast bowler in nearly 15 years to take three wickets in the first session of a Test match in India.
Patience and Precision Pay Off
Mahmud’s patience played a key role in his success.
He built pressure over several deliveries, ultimately forcing errors from some of India’s most accomplished batsmen.
His dismissal of Kohli came after a series of deliveries that tested both edges of the bat, while Gill’s wicket was the result of consistent dot-ball pressure.
This patience highlights Mahmud’s growing maturity as a bowler, showcasing that sticking to basics can yield excellent results.
Mahmud’s approach was simple but effective—bowling fuller lengths and swinging the ball both ways.
He bowled temptingly outside off-stump to India’s top batters, with rewards coming in the form of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli‘s wickets.Â
Despite challenging conditions, Mahmud’s accuracy kept India under pressure, preventing them from taking full control of the match.
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Leadership in a Developing Pace Attack
While Mahmud’s fellow pacers, Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana, struggled with consistency, he led the attack with composure.Â
Bangladesh’s pace unit has improved in recent years, and Mahmud’s success is a reflection of that development.
With a mix of pace, swing, and seam, Mahmud’s rise signals the growing strength of Bangladesh’s bowling arsenal in Test cricket, which still remains a work in progress.
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