The 12 overs batted out by Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan before stumps on the second day is being talked about as one of the defining moments of Bangladesh's ten-wicket win over Pakistan in Rawalpindi last week, with both Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque pointing to it as a major turning point in the game.
But why was it so crucial?
A top-order short on confidence - one of Bangladesh's long-standing problems - had to respond after Pakistan had declared on 448 for 6. Shadman and Zakir did that. Making sure no wickets were lost late in the evening.
They batted together for 16.5 overs (into the third morning). It was the longest opening stand for Bangladesh in Tests since December 2022. Bangladesh had used five different opening pairs in this phase. Tamim Iqbal is no longer part of their Test plans, while Mahmudul Hasan Joy, the only opener in form, pulled up injured ahead of the Test.
Shadman, who batted close to five-and-a-half hours for his 93, said that not losing a wicket that evening was important for Bangladesh's short- and long-term goals in the match.
"We planned to give away no wickets on the second evening," he said. "We had to bat out the 12 overs. We thought that starting the third day with all wickets in hand would be a real confidence-booster for the team. It turned out to be the catalyst for our big score [565]. We batted confidently for the rest of the game."
Zakir dug in at the other end, battling for 81 minutes to score 12 runs. It will be hard to remember his contribution but Mominul had said that Zakir had inspired the dressing room with his doggedness.
Shadman went on to face 183 balls, hitting 12 fours as he played a role in converting Bangladesh's solid start into a solid innings. He added 94 runs for the third wicket with Mominul, before picking up the pace during his 52-run stand with Mushfiqur Rahim for the fourth wicket.
"Batting with Mominul bhai and Mushfiq bhai , who are seasoned campaigners, makes you feel comfortable," Shadman said. "You are always getting positive messages when you are batting with them. They always tell me to stick to the plan. They are mindful of what's going on around the field. One thing that they do particularly well is remind you not to relax. Especially when the end of a session is coming up. They will tell you to be careful around those times."
Shadman missed out on a century but strengthened his case for the second Test. He had only come into the XI as Joy's replacement.
Shadman said it had been a tough road since his previous Test - in South Africa more than two years ago - but his sole focus was to be prepared. "My only goal was to return to the Test team. I was preparing myself for the last two years. I had not been in the team. It didn't deter me too much but I kept preparing myself to be ready for Test cricket, especially when I played first-class cricket."
Though they have not played many Tests, Shadman (14) and Zakir (eight) have been part of the domestic set-up for a while. They have played 68 and 80 first-class matches respectively, outside of Test cricket. Both have come off good 2023-24 domestic tournaments but those were a while back. Shadman played two four-dayers against Pakistan A in Darwin last month, while Zakir's only red-ball appearance in the last three months was the four-day match against Pakistan A in Islamabad last week.
Zakir also took a blinder at gully, when Abdullah Shafique had edged Hasan Mahmud on the first afternoon. "I saw the ball early. I saw it coming off the edge," Zakir said. "It was a split-second thing but when you have sighted it early off the bat, the reflex kicks in. I allowed the reflex to do the rest of the job."
At that time it was hard for anyone to imagine that Bangladesh would boss the game and win by ten wickets for the first time in their Test history. Zakir had another contribution left in the game, one which he had decided had to be his. "When we saw that the target was just 30 runs, I told myself that I want to be at the crease to score the winning runs. I wanted to be part of history."
Patience had always been a missing ingredient in Bangladesh's top order, and now, they perhaps have a blueprint that can serve them in the long-term.
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