In a one-off Test match held at Dhaka’s Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Saturday, Bangladesh secured a remarkable 546-run victory over Afghanistan.
This resounding triumph not only stands as Bangladesh’s most substantial margin of victory in terms of runs but also ranks as the third-highest overall in the history of Test cricket.
The record for the highest victory by runs in Test cricket belongs to England, who defeated Australia by a staggering 675 runs in Brisbane back in 1928. Following closely behind is Australia’s 562-run win against England at the Oval in 1934.
It is worth noting that Bangladesh’s 546-run victory holds a special distinction as it is the highest win by runs in a traditional five-day Test match, unlike the previous two instances that occurred in timeless Tests.
Prior to this remarkable achievement, Bangladesh’s largest victory by runs was recorded against Zimbabwe at Chittagong’s MA Aziz Stadium in 2005, where they won by a margin of 226 runs. Surpassing their own record, the 546-run win over Afghanistan is more than double their previous best.
On the fourth day of the match, Afghanistan resumed their second innings at 45/2 but could only add a mere 70 runs before being dismissed for a total of 115. Their last batsman retired hurt.
During the second innings, Taskin Ahmed displayed an exceptional bowling performance for Bangladesh, claiming four wickets, while Shoriful Islam took three wickets.
Taskin was unfortunate in his pursuit of a maiden five-wicket haul. In the 33rd over of the innings, he bowled Zahir Khan, the final batsman, only to be denied by the umpire’s no-ball call. In the previous delivery, Taskin celebrated a caught-behind dismissal, only for Zahir to review the decision, with the TV replay indicating no contact with the bat. The subsequent ball resulted in a no-ball due to its height, leading to Taskin’s disappointment once again.
Two balls later, Zahir was struck on the elbow while attempting to evade a short ball on the leg stump. In pain, he retired hurt, officially ending the match and confirming Bangladesh’s emphatic 546-run victory.
Afghanistan’s second innings came to a quick end, lasting only 33 overs, six fewer than their first innings where they managed a modest score of 146.
Nazmul Hossain Shanto was rightfully named the player of the match for his impressive contributions of 146 and 124 runs in the first and second innings, respectively.
Shanto’s incredible display included a remarkable 38 fours throughout the match, setting a new record for the Bangladeshi team. Previously, the record was held by Tamim Iqbal, who hit 33 boundaries in a Test match against New Zealand in Hamilton back in 2019.
Furthermore, Shanto achieved another milestone by surpassing the record for the highest runs scored in a Test match at the Mirpur venue. The left-handed batsman amassed a total of 270 runs across both innings, overtaking the previous record held by Pakistan’s Azhar Ali, who scored 251 runs against Bangladesh in 2015.
On the third day of the match, Shanto became the second Bangladeshi player in Test history to achieve centuries in both innings, following in the footsteps of Mominul Haque.
Looking ahead, Bangladesh is scheduled to face Afghanistan in three One Day Internationals in Chittagong next month, followed by two Twenty20 Internationals in Sylhet.
