Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed inscribed his name into Bangladesh cricket folklore by dismissing Australian opener Matthew Short with the very first ball of the innings in the opening ODI against Australia at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Taskin produced a superb delivery that landed on the seam and swung back sharply, crashing into Short’s stumps before the batter could react.
The breakthrough made Taskin only the third Bangladeshi bowler to claim a wicket with the first ball of an ODI innings. Before him, the feat was achieved by Saiful Islam in 1995 and Syed Russell in 2006.
Saiful was the first Bangladeshi to create the milestone during the Pepsi Asia Cup in Sharjah in 1995. After Bangladesh captain Akram Khan was elected to field against Sri Lanka, Saiful struck with the opening delivery, removing Ashanka Gurusinha, who was caught by Aminul Islam.
The next instance came 11 years later when Syed Rasel dismissed Kenya opener Kennedy Otieno leg-before wicket with the first ball of the innings in Nairobi in 2006. Bangladesh went on to win that match comfortably by overhauling Keny’a 118 with six wickets at hands.
That game is also remembered for Mashrafe Bin Mortaza’s outstanding figures of 6-26, which still remains best bowling by a Bangladeshi bowler in ODI format.
Taskin’s achievement also revived memories of similar feats in other formats. In Test cricket, Mashrafe famously bowled Indian opener Wasim Jaffer with the first ball of an innings in 2007 and that remained only instance in Test cricket by a Bangladeshi bowler.
Bangladesh bowlers have managed the feat more frequently in T20 internationals. Mashrafe accomplished it twice, while Mohammad Saifuddin, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat and Tanzim Hasan Sakib have also struck with the opening delivery of an innings.
bd-pratidin/GR
