Top 5 overseas knocks by Bangladesh batsmen in Tests

Bangladesh were down and out when they went in to play the first Test of their New Zealand tour in 2016-17. Having been whitewashed in the ODIs and T20Is, nobody gave them a chance. The worse part being that nobody even thought they would survive in the hostile conditions. The Pakistan tour of New Zealand that had preceded the series had seen the Asian giants succumb to swing big time. Hence, it was the same story that was expected to unfold here, if not worse. However, two of the senior batsmen from the unit stepped up to the occasion and played the innings of their careers. Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim added mammoth 359 runs for the 5th wicket to help Bangladesh post a total of 595/8 decl. in their first innings. The total also goes down as their second highest Test total in the history of the game. Shakib became only the third batsman from the Bangladeshi land to score a double ton in Test cricket. Records tumbled as the two batsmen rallied along in their innings. One might consider that this was one-off shot in the Bangladesh armoury in the overseas conditions. But truth be told, this is not the first time that they have outclassed the hosts in overseas conditions. Here are the top 5 overseas knocks by Bangladesh batsmen in Test cricket history: 5. Mohammad Ashraful – 129* v Sri Lanka, Colombo 2007 Bangladesh cricketer Mohammad Ashraful. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images) Team Bangladesh were staring at a defeat big time during the second Test of their tour to Sri Lanka in 2007. They were bundled out cheaply for 62 in the first innings. In response, Sri Lanka posted a mammoth 451 on the board riding on unbeaten double ton by Kumar Sangakkara. The defeat was inevitable for the visitors but it surely could be delayed. Stuttering at 78/5, the tigers were not only staring at a defeat but staring at an embarrassing one. It was Mohammad Ashraful, the then mainstay of their middle order, who struck an unbeaten 129. His efforts saw Bangladesh savor some pride as they posted 299 on the board. Though they faced an innings defeat, they managed to prolong the proceedings. Ashraful’s 129 came off 236 balls with 18 boundaries. 4. Mushfiqur Rahim – 159 v New Zealand, Wellington 2016 Mushfiqur Rahim of Bangladesh. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) Mushfiqur Rahim’s timely 159 helped his side make a strong statement on the tour that they were no pushovers. Combined with the efforts of Shakib Al Hasan, the team managed to post a mammoth 595 on the board. Rahim, who was leading the team in the match, had earlier missed out on most of the limited overs action due to an injury. When he returned from the injury, he did it in style. Rahim struck 159 off mere 260 deliveries with 23 fours and a six to his name. He put on a marathon 359 run stand with Shakib Al Hasan that led the foundation of the Bangladeshi innings. 3. Mohammad Ashraful – 190 v Sri Lanka, Galle 2013 Mohammad Ashraful raises his bat as he acknowledges the crowd after completing 150 runs. (Photo by LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images) Playing at Galle in 2013, Sri Lanka looked clear favorites against Bangladesh. They had won their first 14 Tests against the Bangladeshis. The hosts posted a mammoth 570/4 in their first innings. People anticipated that the match headed just one way. But the Bangladeshi batters had other plans. They managed to secure a draw with their batting effort. They posted a gigantic 638 on the board, the highest ever score by Bangladesh in Test cricket history. Mohammad Ashraful missed out on a well-deserved double ton by just 10 runs. He was dismissed on 190 by Rangana Herath. His effort came in 417 balls with 20 fours and a six as he spent 499 minutes at the crease. 2. Mushfiqur Rahim – 200 v Sri Lanka, Galle 2013 Bangladeshi captain Mushfiqur Rahim raises his bat and helmet in celebration after scoring a double century. (Photo by LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images) In the very same match when Ashraful had missed out on a double ton, his teammate Mushfiqur Rahim achieved the milestone. Rahim scored a brilliant 200 off 321 balls with 22 fours and a six. He was the top scorer for Bangladesh as they posted 638 on the board. The other centurion in the innings was Nasir Hossain. En route his double ton, Rahim shared a 267 run fifth wicket partnership with Ashraful. Later, he added 106 runs with Nasir Hossain for the 6th wicket before being dismissed by Nuwan Kulasekara. 1. Shakib Al Hasan – 217 v New Zealand, Wellington 2016 Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan tumbled many records as he smashed a key 217 against New Zealand recently. He became only the third Bangladeshi batsman to score a double-century in Tests. He now holds the record of the highest individual score by a Bangladeshi batsman in Test cricket history. He surpassed the previous best of Tamim Iqbal (206 v Pakistan at Khulna in 2015). Shakib took just 276 balls his 217 runs. The knock came at a strike rate close to 80. He struck 31 timely boundaries in his effort. The herculean knock saw him stage a marathon partnership with Mushfiqur Rahim in the middle. The eventual result saw Bangladesh post 595 on the board to atleast ensure that they will not stare at a defeat in the match unless they bat miserably in the second innings.

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Top 5 overseas knocks by Bangladesh batsmen in Tests

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