BAN vs AUS 2017: Upbeat Tamim Iqbal Equals Habibul Bashar’s Record of Most Fifties for a Bangladeshi

Aug 29, 2017 at 7:28 PM

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BAN vs AUS 2017: Upbeat Tamim Iqbal Equals Habibul Bashar’s Record of Most Fifties for a Bangladeshi

Bangladesh’s reliable left-handed batsman and one of the senior campaigners in the current line-up Tamim Iqbal is pacing up his numbers with the bat, as he went on to equal the record of 24 fifties with former skipper and current national team selector Habibul Bashar. However, Bashar had amassed the same figures in 50 Tests after featuring in 99 innings.

Going through the purple patch, Iqbal is playing the 50th Test of his career alongside Shakib Al Hasan; as the former went on to register two consecutive half-centuries.

Being the top-order batsman, Bashar averaged 30.87 in the longer format and went on to smash three hundreds with the highest score of 113 during his eight-year long career between 2000 and 2008. Moreover, the second on the list is No. 1 Test all-rounder Shakib, who has now 22 half-centuries in 50 Tests.

Bangladesh skipper and wicketkeeper batsman Mushfiqur Rahim is placed at the third position after collecting 17 half-centuries to his credit in 55 Tests.

The Chittagong-born Iqbal has now shared the most number of fifties as a Bangladeshi alongside Nagakanda-born Bashar after smashing a fifty during the ongoing first Test of the two-match series at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Dhaka on day three. Following the good start, in the very second innings against Australia, Iqbal in his backyard failed to convert his score in the triple-figure mark, as he registered 78 off 155 deliveries.

Iqbal crunched eight boundaries before being caught by gloveman Matthew Wade on the bowling of broad-shouldered Pat Cummins, who bowled a beauty which took the former by complete surprise. Earlier, after batting first on August 27 (Sunday), Iqbal posted 71 off 144 balls, as his innings included five boundaries and three maximums.

The leading run scorer for Bangladesh southpaw Iqbal has played an integral role in Bangladesh set-up while proving his credentials from time and time again after selectors have shown complete trust in him. Photo Credit: Getty Images.

(Also Read: BAN vs AUS 2017: Injury Rules Josh Hazlewood out of Bangladesh, India tour)

Before the start of the series, Iqbal with the unwavering faith in his straight response to the Bangladesh media has expressed the satisfaction with his previous performance, but revealed he is not looking at the personal milestones.

Iqbal added he is looking forward to representing the national side owing to the full potential in whatever way it would be possible for him till his body cope up. To achieve another feat, Iqbal is 174-run short to register 4,000 runs in Test cricket and eventually become first Bangladesh player to do so.

In the same amount of matches Bashar played, Iqbal, who played 96 innings in 50 Tests, collected 3,826 runs at the strike-rate of 40.27. He has also registered eight hundreds to his name.

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