Debutant Abul hits century at number 10 for B’desh

Thursday, 22 November 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Nov 21 (Reuters): Bangladesh number 10 Abul Hasan scored a unbeaten century on his test debut on Wednesday to complete an astonishing comeback by the home team on the opening day of the second test against West Indies.

After fast bowler Fidel Edwards had taken five wickets to help reduce Bangladesh to 193 for eight, Abul and Mahmudullah (72 not out) added 172 runs in an unbroken ninth-wicket partnership.

At the close, Bangladesh were a respectable 365 for eight after adding a staggering 179 runs in the final session from only 32 overs.

Abul, 20, became the second debutant only in test history to record a century on debut batting at number 10 after Australian Reggie Duff who scored 104 against England at Melbourne in 1902.“My first aim was to give support to Riyad Bhai (Mahmudullah). It all happened after I got my fifty,” Abul told a news conference.

“I thought of a century only after I crossed the 70-run mark,” added Abul, who came in the side as a replacement for pace bowler Shahadat Hossain. “When I went for batting I considered myself as a batsman and that’s it.” West Indies, one-up in the two-match series, were completely in control when Edwards dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim (38) and Sohag Gazi (0) in the same over to complete his 12th five-wicket test haul.

Edwards started with the wicket of Nazimuddin (five) before captain Darren Sammy removed Shahriar Nafees (26) and Tamim Iqbal (32) as Bangladesh went to lunch on 88-3.

Naeem Islam was then bowled by Edwards for 16 and Shakib Al Hasan (17) edged a catch to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin before Nasir Hossain and Mushfiq led a brief recovery.

Nasir made 52 off 88 balls, his second fifty in the series, which ended with a catch by Edwards at mid-on off Veerasammy Permaul. Abul, who had scored only one half-century in his first-class career, was given a life on 42 when Kieran Pollard dropped a chance off Permaul when he was batting on 42.

He smashed Sammy for a four and a six to complete his fifty off 55 balls. Two runs off a Sunil Narine delivery brought up his century, which made him the third Bangladeshi only to reach three figures on debut after Aminul Islam and Mohammad Ashraful.