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A brisk 50

Mohammad Isam
From despair in Dhaka, heartbreaks in Multan and Fatullah to unparalleled joy in Chittagong, Bangladesh have seen the good, the bad and the ugly as they mark the golden jubilee ofTests today.
Since the inaugural Test against India in November 2000, the Tigers have managed to play 49 action-filled Test matches. And at the University Oval in Dunedin, another chapter in the short history of Bangladesh cricket is set to be played out when they take the field to do battle for the 50th time today.
From Day One, the Tigers have at times looked like fish out of water but have also managed to look the part in certain instances. Defeats have ranged from one wicket to thrashings by an innings and 310 runs but on this ocassion, the good and the gallant shall be remembered.
Left-arm seamer Mahmudul Hasan (previously known as Bikash Ranjan Das) who played the inaugural Test, which was his only appearance for Bangla lesh, remembers Aminul Islam' ■ spar-
kling 145 the most.
"When Bulbul bhai reached his century, I saw tears in the late Eddie Barlow's eyes," said Hasan, who took the new-ball with Hasibul Hossain on the second day.
"Barlow told us that we have all the potential to do great things. He was such a great coach and a fantastic motivator."
For the record, five draws and one win apart from conceding 43 losses arc all that theTigershave mustered.
IWo of those losses could have easily turned into earth-shattering
victories. Against Pakistan In Multan, Khaled Mahmud's men fought valiantly but fell short in front of the colossal Inzamamul Haq, who saved his career with that match-winning hundred. It took another captain's knock, that from Ricky Ponting in April 2006, to save Australia from ignominy in a match that Bangladesh could have won through Shahriar Nafees's brilliant 138.
The only win, though, came through two beautiful bowling performances from left-armers Mohammad Rafique and Enamul Haque Jr.
Bowling has always been the underrated skill as batting hogs most of the limelight in Bangladesh. Batting, of the opening type especially, has been every coach, captain and selectors' bane. Whenever a Test match is near, apprehension of Tigers' batting performance comes ahead of every other thought. It was no different in the first Test played at the Bangabandhu National Stadium and it is still the same till date.
There was never any doubt about Bangladesh's ability to fit into the elites of international
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cricket. Sure there is a lot of hue and cry whenever a Test is lost in three days; once a commentator predicted that it will take only one day to bring down the Tigers, only to see Bangladesh giving Australia a real go in Cairns.
It could be the same old story against New Zealand in Dunedin but having seen 49 Tests where they have fought, wilted and then fought again, hope still remains.