When Shakib Al Hasan was forced out of Bangladesh’s home Test series against New Zealand due to injury, the hosts were dealt a double blow, as they lost both their captain and their best all-rounder.
The hole left by the skipper’s absence was exacerbated by the absences of other senior players such as Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, and Taskin Ahmed, leaving the team vulnerable against a full-strength New Zealand side.
However, the absence of famous figures, particularly Shakib, created space for other players to step up – an opportunity Najmul Hossain Shanto and Taijul Islam seized with both hands in yesterday’s Sylhet Test, playing vital roles in a massive 150-run triumph.
Shanto, the stand-in captain for the Test series, was Bangladesh’s top batsman in the match, with his century in the second innings helping the side set a lofty target for the Kiwis.
However, the 25-year-old’s contribution to the game cannot be assessed only by his batting returns.
Shanto, who made his Test captaincy debut in the match, radiated confidence from the pre-match news conference, where he didn’t make nebulous platitudes about hoping to do well, but emphasised that he is aiming for a series win.
The left-hander’s first day didn’t go so well, as he was caught off a full-toss from part-timer Glenn Phillips after opting to bat first.
The soft dismissal, on the other hand, did not bother him mentally, as he made amends for his earlier blunder with a match-defining century in the second innings.
On the pitch, Shanto led his soldiers like a seasoned captain, making inspired captaincy decisions.
His decision to use part-timer Mominul Haque in the first innings paid off twice, as the left-arm spinner broke a 78-run partnership between Phillips and Kane Williamson, and then a tenacious ninth-wicket stand between Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson, preventing New Zealand from gaining a significant lead.
Even after his historic triumph, Shanto did not lose sight of his main goal: winning the series.
“There is still one match remaining.” The job is only half done. It’s not like we’re going to show up and win the game. “We’ll have to work hard for the next five days,” the stand-in skipper told reporters after the game.
Taijul, on the other hand, has been the unnoticed leader of Bangladesh’s spin assault in home Tests for some time.
Taijul has played 14 Tests to Shakib’s seven since 2021, but he has been overshadowed by the outstanding all-rounder.
The pitch in Sylhet was neither a rank turner nor a low and slow surface as the Tigers are used to seeing in home Tests.
The 31-year-old had to utilise all of his experience and arsenal of techniques to initially keep the Kiwi batters under control while also picking up wickets at regular intervals, concluding with match stats of 10-184 to be crowned player-of-the-match.
In fact, Bangladesh’s only other Test victory over New Zealand occurred in the absence of Shakib and Tamim.
Captain Mominul and Ebadot Hossain played crucial roles in the triumph in Mount Maunganui in 2022, similar to what Shanto and Taijul did in Sylhet.
Both victories show that Bangladesh does not have to rely on the same few players to win every game.