Mahmudul makes claim for opening spot

Mahmudul Hasan Joy did not have a great start to his Test career. His first Test against Pakistan only produced six runs in total, including a duck on his first-ever Test innings.

However, he turned it around in the historic Mount Maunganui Test against New Zealand as he played a fine knock of 78 runs, and he consolidated his place with a brilliant century in South Africa in a match where all other Bangladesh batters looked lost.

However, things turned sour from there on. In the following 10 innings, Mahmudul only went past fifty once, thus leading to him getting dropped from Bangladesh’s two Test matches against India in December last year, and he could not find a place in the one-off Ireland Test either.

Mahmudul’s drop in form saw Zakir Hasan rise in prominence as the left-handed batter hit a fifty and a century in his first two Tests against India.

All of this led to the question of who would accompany Tamim Iqbal in the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan, and Mahmudul made a comeback on Friday to state a claim for that as he hit a great century for Bangladesh A to save them from a defeat against West Indies A in their third and final four-day match.

Chasing a target of 461, Bangladesh had the scare of losing the match by a big margin and conceding the series 2-0. However, Mahmudul’s century ensured that such was not the case and that Bangladesh managed to come out

with a draw.

As he played a fine innings of 114 runs off 268 balls, which included 14 fours, Mahmudul saw out the whole day as Bangladesh A secured

the draw.

The batter, knock for his patience, managed to hold off the Caribbean bowlers and make one partnership after another to ensure that in no part, a collapse came to be.

His opening stand with Zakir produced 93 runs, and then a 117-run partnership with Yasir Ali Chowdhury ensured that Bangladesh found the base to manage a draw.

The Bangladesh National Team selectors are yet to announce the squad for the Afghanistan Test, and with that in mind, Mahmudul produced an effort that could see him into

the squad.

However, Mahmudul left everything in the selectors’ hands.

“This (being selected for the Afghanistan series) is in the selectors. I had to perform, I did,” he told the media on Friday.

Mahmudul said about his century, “The feeling of getting a ton is great. Your confidence gets a massive boost. I am very happy.”

While the competition is indeed high, the right-handed youngster still has the chance to make the squad, especially after the knock he just produced.

Whether he will partner with Tamim in the upcoming Test is still unsure but at least he is back in the runs, meaning if he can keep the run-flow intact, there will be chances. And he must wait for them, even if not now, chances will arrive for the Under-19 World Cup winner.