Hasan’s Sylhet six-for completes historic five-nation haul

From Rawalpindi in Pakistan to Chennai in India, Darwin in Australia, Abu Dhabi in UAE and now Sylhet in Bangladesh, Hasan Mahmud has achieved a remarkable feat in Test cricket. 

The Bangladesh pacer has claimed at least five wickets in an innings in five different countries against five different opponents, setting himself apart with a unique achievement.

In just 18 Tests, Hasan has taken five five-wicket hauls, the most by any Bangladesh fast bowler. He surpassed Shahadat Hossain Rajib, who previously held the record with four, despite having played 20 more Tests than Hasan.

Hasan made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Chattogram in March 2024. Although he took only two wickets for 92 runs in the first innings, he returned with four for 65 in the second.

On Bangladesh’s subsequent tour of Pakistan, he played a key role in their historic victory in the second Test in Rawalpindi, taking five wickets for 43 runs in the third innings. 

The following month, he claimed another five-wicket haul in the first innings of the Chennai Test against India.

Hasan continued his impressive run in Darwin last August, taking six for 55 in the first innings to help Bangladesh secure another historic victory, this time against Australia.

Earlier in October, he claimed five wickets against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi and became the first Bangladesh fast bowler to take a Test hat-trick. 

Now, with six for 90 in the first innings against the West Indies in Sylhet, he has completed his five-country five-for collection.

The achievement marks another milestone in the history of Bangladesh pace bowling. 

While several Bangladesh fast bowlers have taken multiple five-wicket hauls overseas, none had previously achieved the feat in five different countries. Robiul Islam, for instance, claimed both of his five-wicket hauls in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Hasan’s six-wicket haul in Sylhet also brought another record: no Bangladesh fast bowler had previously taken six or more wickets in an innings on multiple occasions.

There was another piece of history involving Hasan’s bowling when Litton Das stumped Joshua Bishop off his delivery. It was the first time in Bangladesh’s Test history that an opposition batter had been stumped off a fast bowler.

Hasan had taken two wickets for 58 runs in three spells on the opening day in Sylhet. 

On the second day, he returned with the second new ball and claimed four more wickets for 32 runs across two spells. Four of his six dismissals were bowled, including two batters who paid the price for leaving deliveries.

The pacer was delighted to claim his first Test five-wicket haul on home soil.

“Alhamdulillah, taking five wickets in a home Test is always very special for me. It was a good opportunity to do something special on our own ground, so I am very happy,” Hasan said at the post-day press conference on Friday.

However, he does not want to dwell too much on the achievement of taking five-wicket hauls in five countries. Instead, he is focused on maintaining his performance.

“I keep things very simple. I will keep trying to improve. Whenever I play Test cricket, I will try to take five wickets. A five-wicket haul is always special,” he said.

Hasan acknowledged that the Sylhet pitch initially offered assistance to fast bowlers but later became more favorable for batting. 

He believes maintaining discipline in line and length was crucial to his success.

“There is movement on the Sylhet pitch, and most of the time it favors fast bowlers. I knew that. But after the first one or two hours, the pitch became flat and more batting-friendly. Taskin bhai and I tried to maintain our line and bowl consistently,” he said.

The plan to trap Joshua Bishop through a stumping had been discussed beforehand. Hasan revealed that captain Najmul Hossain Shanto suggested bringing Litton closer to the stumps.

“That batter was coming forward to play his shots. Shanto bhai told me that if the wicketkeeper stood up to the stumps, it might restrict his footwork or shot-making. I told him that if the keeper was comfortable, I would go with the plan. That is what happened, and it was good to see the plan work,” Hasan said.

Despite producing match-winning performances against Pakistan and Australia, Hasan picked Virat Kohli’s wicket as the most memorable among his five five-wicket hauls.

In the Chennai Test, Hasan completed his five-wicket haul by dismissing Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah among his victims. Kohli edged a delivery outside off stump to Litton, a dismissal Hasan particularly cherishes.

“Definitely Virat Kohli’s wicket,” he said when asked to name his favorite.

Hasan also believes his experience with English county side Kent has had a positive impact on his bowling. In particular, adapting to English conditions helped him adjust to bowling in Australia.

“After going to Kent, I found that the conditions there and in Australia were quite similar. That made things a little easier for me. I adapted to the conditions in England before bowling in Australia, and that helped,” he said.

Hasan’s remarkable achievement has also caught the attention of former South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald. In a Facebook post, Donald noted that Hasan is the only fast bowler in Test history to have taken five-wicket hauls in India, Pakistan, Australia, UAE and Bangladesh.