Test cricket has been one of Bangladesh’s biggest challenges. The country got Test status in 2000, thanks to support from India and Pakistan, but even after more than 20 years, major success in this format is still missing.
Bangladesh hasn’t managed to beat all the other Test-playing nations yet, and their overall Test record remains weak. This has once again been clear in the current Sylhet Test match against Zimbabwe, where the team faced another batting collapse.
However, Zaker Ali Anik showed some fight. He stood firm with the lower-order batters and tried to keep the innings going. In the second innings, while most of the team struggled, Zaker scored 57 runs on the fourth day, showing determination when it was most needed.
Zaker Ali Anik has made new history for Bangladesh in Test cricket. Since his debut, he’s the only Bangladeshi batsman to score at least one 50-plus run in four Test matches in a row. No other player from Bangladesh has done this before.
Zaker now has the chance to turn his national record into a world record. To do that, he needs to score a 50 in four more consecutive Tests. The current world record belongs to Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis, who scored 50 or more in eight straight Tests last year.
Zaker started his Test career in October last year. In his debut, he made 58 runs against South Africa in Mirpur. Then, in the West Indies series, he scored 53 in the first Test and 91 in the second. Most recently, he added another 58 runs in the Sylhet Test against Zimbabwe.
Unfortunately, his strong performance came on a tough day for Bangladesh. The team was all out for 255 in the second innings. Zimbabwe needs only 174 runs to win and is chasing the target well.