Bangladesh Saw The Birth Of A Superstar; A 40 Year Old Record Was Broken

Mohammad Ashraful [X]Mohammad Ashraful [X]

Mohammad Ashraful was one of the most promising cricketers of the early 2000s. It was evident from the very beginning of his career that he had a lot of talent, and cricket experts, fans, and pundits always predicted that he would do great things. However, his career did not reach the heights it promised in the early stages. 

Even though Ashraful's career ended abruptly and prematurely, it was not devoid of glory. One of the most glorious moments of the player's career and Bangladesh cricket came on 8 September 2001. It was the second match of the Asian Test championship, and Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were facing off at the Colombo (SSC). 

Murali magic destroyed Bangladesh in the 1st Innings

The Bangladesh team, still at its novice stage, was trying to find a foothold in Test cricket. Their inexperience in the format at that time was evident from their first-innings batting effort, where they were bundled out for just 90 runs. Muttiah Muraliatharan starred with the ball, picking up five wickets for just 13 runs in 9.3 overs. 

Atapattu and Jaywarendene's big hundreds

In response to Bangladesh's paltry total, Sri Lanka batted big and long in their first innings. Marvan Atapattu scored a double hundred (201 off 259) while opening the innings and set the stage for a considerable total. Mahela Jayawardene further strengthened Sri Lanka's position in the game by scoring 150. Courtesy of these two bug hundreds and some contributions by other batters, Sri Lanka posted a mammoth 555/5 before they declared their innings. 

Having already dented the Bangladesh team's confidence, the Sri Lankans might have hoped to repeat their antics from the first innings. They had Bangladesh on the mat once more at 81/4 when a young man walked out to bat and showed unreal resilience under pressure. 

Ashraful fights with grit for Bangladesh

Mohammad Ashraful scored a brilliant hundred and became the youngest batter to score in Test cricket. His innings of 114 runs from 212 deliveries comprised 16 boundaries and was the only fight that the then-minnows could show in the game. Ashraful's partnerships with Aminul Islam and Naimur Rahman saw Bangladesh cross the 300 mark in the second innings. 

Bangladesh lost four wickets for just 20 runs after Ashraful's dismissal signifies the importance of his knock. They managed to post 328 runs in their second inning but lost the game by innings and 137 runs. 

Even though it was a significant defeat for Bangladesh, the match will be remembered for the character and resilience shown by Mohammad Ashraful. His performance announced to the cricket world that Bangladesh has the talent and potential to become one of the better teams in the game in the future, instilling a sense of hope in cricket enthusiasts and fans. 

Youngest Test centurions

Here is a look at the top three youngest Test centurions in cricket

Player
Age
Opposition
Year
Mohammad Ashraful17 Years 61 DaysSri Lanka2001
Mushtaq Mohammad17 Years 78 DaysIndia1961
Sachin Tendulkar17 years 107 DaysEngland1990

Mohammad Ashraful scored this century at 17 years and 61 days. He broke a 40-year-old standing record which belonged to Mushtaq Mohammad. The Pakistani batter scored his maiden Test Hundred at the age of 17 years and 78 days against India in 1961.