On This Day, 19 Feb 2010: Maiden Test Ton of Explosive Shakib

Coach Siddons remarked him as Bangladesh’s top spinner and allowed him to bowl as a senior spinner of the test squad; but Shakib Al Hasan came into Bangladesh team as a genuine batsman. His spinner role was just a bonus option for Rafique-Razzak led Bangladeshi attack before that declaration of Siddons. By 2010, Shakib had attained much success with ball in test cricket but in some way, he had failed every time to capitalize his early start to get a hundred. It was a mystery indeed. He scored couple of 96 runs innings prior to 2010; in one of which he remained unbeaten. In the match of Hamilton, where he broke the shackles in the second innings, he had an innings of 87 runs in Bangladesh’s first innings. Shakib, however, broke the jinx elegantly. Shakib played beautifully for his 100, taking the attack to the New Zealand bowlers who were firmly on top as the final day of the Test match began. Shakib battled valiantly in resistance, but ultimately failed to pull off an unlikely victory. In the final day of that test, Shakib exploded in the early morning and creamed his second half century of the match in just 58 balls. He plundered 40 runs in just 13 balls and took 28 from Vettori’s first 9 balls of the day. Shakib got out playing risky shots just after reaching his century as he was running out of partners on the other hand. Bangladesh eventually got out by 282 runs and lost that match by 121 runs.