Chennai, in a team that wears its emotions on the surface, Hasan Mahmud is an exception. He doesn't believe in over-the-top celebrations, he lacks the aggression of a pacer, but he is quickly becoming a master at making the ball talk.
On the opening day of the first Test against India here, the 24-year-old Bangladesh bowler caught the eye with a three-wicket blast in the first session, shaking up a famous batting line-up made up of heavyweights Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill.
Considering the batsmen he dismissed in just his fourth Test, one would have expected the quality pacer to celebrate appropriately. But he limited it to a few high-fives and handshakes with his colleagues.
"I don't really celebrate and there's no real reason why. You could say that if I celebrate after taking a wicket, the batsman will feel more upset, that's why I don't celebrate," he had said at a press conference. conference.
However, the bowler expressed his joy at sending back players like Kohli and Rohit, and Rishabh Pant in the second session, at the end of the day's play here.
"I'm just happy. When you take into account his wickets, which are the best at the moment, naturally one would be happy," said Mahmud, whose career has been plagued by injuries.
Born into a farming family in a village near Chattogram, Mahmud is a product of Bangladesh's age-group system, and was rated by South African great Allan Donald and former West Indies speedster Ottis Gibson as the best fast bowler to ever emerge from the world. country.
Both Donald and Gibson had been part of the team's coaching staff in the past. Furthermore, Russell Domingo had called his ability to swing the ball "gifted by God."
Mahmud showed why he is so highly rated during Bangladesh's historic Test series sweep of Pakistan recently, and made an encore on Thursday against a much better batting line-up.
"He was in my zone. So he's been very cheerful, whatever wicket you're taking, whatever batsman. So he's been very good," he told reporters after the end of the day's play.
"My plan was very simple. I keep the ball in shape every time and try to throw a little bit up, join and shape the ball at any time. So I was trying that."
He came through the Bangladesh Cricket Board's age-group structure, starting with Chattogram U-16 in 2015.
In 2018, Mahmud made the Bangladesh team for the U-19 World Cup in New Zealand, finishing as the team's second-highest player.
A year later, he was selected in the under-23 team, participating in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, followed by the South Asian Games.
Following his exploits in the Dhaka Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League and Bangladesh Cricket League, Mahmud earned his first T20 international call-up against Zimbabwe in 2020, followed by his One-Day International debut the following year.
However, he had to wait four years before making his Test debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year, in which he took six wickets.
When asked how he supported himself, he said, "At that time, I used to play our first-class matches at home. So, I used to do my best there before I was called up," Mahmud said.
"So now I'm doing very well. I want to keep it that way."
One of the most striking features of his bowling is his ability to move the ball both ways.
"I will keep trying to improve my bowling movement as much as I can. But I want to thank everyone for helping me," he added.
Talking about his performance here, Mahmud said: "I think during the day, from morning, it was as if the ball was sliding off the wicket. Later, the wicket settled and the ball came well to the bat. Still, the fast bowler is winning the knock," he said.
"We were trying to dominate since morning, but the wicket has improved a lot now. So we are trying to minimize runs and boundaries.
"The momentum was with us at one point, but now it has shifted to the other side. Anything can happen. Tomorrow we will have another chance and we will try to work on it," he concluded.
On the opening day of the first Test against India here, the 24-year-old Bangladesh bowler caught the eye with a three-wicket blast in the first session, shaking up a famous batting line-up made up of heavyweights Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill.
Considering the batsmen he dismissed in just his fourth Test, one would have expected the quality pacer to celebrate appropriately. But he limited it to a few high-fives and handshakes with his colleagues.
"I don't really celebrate and there's no real reason why. You could say that if I celebrate after taking a wicket, the batsman will feel more upset, that's why I don't celebrate," he had said at a press conference. conference.
However, the bowler expressed his joy at sending back players like Kohli and Rohit, and Rishabh Pant in the second session, at the end of the day's play here.
"I'm just happy. When you take into account his wickets, which are the best at the moment, naturally one would be happy," said Mahmud, whose career has been plagued by injuries.
Born into a farming family in a village near Chattogram, Mahmud is a product of Bangladesh's age-group system, and was rated by South African great Allan Donald and former West Indies speedster Ottis Gibson as the best fast bowler to ever emerge from the world. country.
Both Donald and Gibson had been part of the team's coaching staff in the past. Furthermore, Russell Domingo had called his ability to swing the ball "gifted by God."
Mahmud showed why he is so highly rated during Bangladesh's historic Test series sweep of Pakistan recently, and made an encore on Thursday against a much better batting line-up.
"He was in my zone. So he's been very cheerful, whatever wicket you're taking, whatever batsman. So he's been very good," he told reporters after the end of the day's play.
"My plan was very simple. I keep the ball in shape every time and try to throw a little bit up, join and shape the ball at any time. So I was trying that."
He came through the Bangladesh Cricket Board's age-group structure, starting with Chattogram U-16 in 2015.
In 2018, Mahmud made the Bangladesh team for the U-19 World Cup in New Zealand, finishing as the team's second-highest player.
A year later, he was selected in the under-23 team, participating in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, followed by the South Asian Games.
Following his exploits in the Dhaka Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League and Bangladesh Cricket League, Mahmud earned his first T20 international call-up against Zimbabwe in 2020, followed by his One-Day International debut the following year.
However, he had to wait four years before making his Test debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year, in which he took six wickets.
When asked how he supported himself, he said, "At that time, I used to play our first-class matches at home. So, I used to do my best there before I was called up," Mahmud said.
"So now I'm doing very well. I want to keep it that way."
One of the most striking features of his bowling is his ability to move the ball both ways.
"I will keep trying to improve my bowling movement as much as I can. But I want to thank everyone for helping me," he added.
Talking about his performance here, Mahmud said: "I think during the day, from morning, it was as if the ball was sliding off the wicket. Later, the wicket settled and the ball came well to the bat. Still, the fast bowler is winning the knock," he said.
"We were trying to dominate since morning, but the wicket has improved a lot now. So we are trying to minimize runs and boundaries.
"The momentum was with us at one point, but now it has shifted to the other side. Anything can happen. Tomorrow we will have another chance and we will try to work on it," he concluded.
