Can boundaries define a Test match? These three batters seem to think so!
As India and Bangladesh prepare for their highly anticipated Test series, which begins tomorrow, fans can't help but wonder what surprises are in store. With India vying for a position in the next World Test Championship final and Bangladesh looking to cause upsets, all eyes will be on the pitch.
IND VS BAN 1ST TEST 🇮🇳
— ꪖꪀડꪖ𝕣 ꪖꪶⅈ 𝕜ꫝꪖꪀ (@AnsarAlikhan_18) September 17, 2024
1st session - 9.30am to 11.30am.
2nd session - 12.10pm to 2.10pm.
3rd session - 2.30pm to 4.30pm. pic.twitter.com/12mdM7eZ2V
The first Test is scheduled for the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, with the second at Kanpur. India's red-ball warriors, led by Rohit Sharma, are back in action, with wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant's long-awaited comeback adding to the excitement.
Bangladesh will be meeting India next after sweeping Pakistan 2-0 away from home 🤜🤛
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 15, 2024
What do you expect from Gautam Gambhir in his first Test assignment as head coach? 🤔 https://t.co/WW0fOo59tX #INDvBAN #PAKvBAN pic.twitter.com/s02B58Widw
But first, before we get carried away with what may happen, let's look back at what happened when these two sides faced off in prior Test series. Let's focus on the batters repeatedly sending the ball soaring beyond the boundary. Here are the top three batters who scored the most runs from fours and sixes in an innings between India and Bangladesh. And, believe me, these innings were pure explosives!
Mayank Agarwal was in top form at a Test in Indore in 2019. Facing Bangladesh, he scored 243 runs from 330 balls, including 28 fours and 8 sixes. That's 160 runs simply from the boundaries! Imagine facing a bowler and knowing that usually, every time they pitch the ball, it goes over the ropes or races to the fence. Yes, it is the type of domination we are discussing about.
Watch the highlights of Mayank Agarwal 243 vs Bangladesh in the first Test 2019.
— CricHighlightsVidz (@CricHighVidz) November 15, 2019
Incredible innings from Mayank Agarwal scored 243-runs off facing 330-balls including 28-fours and 8-sixes with strike rate of 73.63.https://t.co/VZMiCLWnrS pic.twitter.com/VI9fdmT5TH
After Mayank Agrawal scored 200 against Bangladesh. He gave a double hundred gesture to his captain Virat.
— ` (@epicvirat) September 3, 2024
Unsatisfied Virat responded with triple hundred gesture to Mayank telling him that job isn't done yet.pic.twitter.com/5EBTOI2HnL
Bangladesh bowlers were outmatched. It felt like Agarwal was playing a different game, as if he knew a cheat code for hitting boundaries. And what about Bangladesh? It must have been like attempting to stop a speeding locomotive with a pebble.
Let's go back to 2004, when Sachin Tendulkar scored a brilliant innings in Dhaka. His undefeated 248 is still the most incredible individual score in an India against Bangladesh Test match, and while it wasn't the quickest innings, it was clinical. Tendulkar scored 35 fours and no sixes, for a total of 140 runs from boundaries.
Tendulkar dismantled Bangladesh's bowling assault gradually over 10 hours. His patience and technique were nothing short of brilliant. I mean, can you bat that long without throwing your wicket away? That is next-level mental toughness. While there were no soaring sixes, Tendulkar's fours were so well timed that they seemed as explosive.
We can't discuss remarkable boundary-hitting without mentioning Bangladesh's Mohammad Ashraful. In 2004, Ashraful produced an undefeated 158 in a Test in Chattogram, striking 24 fours and three sixes, accounting for 114 of his total runs from boundaries.
Ashraful celebrating his ton against India // Picture Courtesy – Sportskeeda
Bangladesh and India have played 13 Test matches, with Mohammad Ashraful and Mashrafe Mortaza being the only 🇧🇩 players to win the 'Man of the Match' award. #Ashraful earned it in 2004 for his unbeaten 158*, while all-round performance of #Mashrafe in 2007 helped 🇧🇩 avoid defeat. pic.twitter.com/YheN81IQfV
— Jahin Hasan Prince (@JahinHasan386) September 16, 2024
Ashraful's innings provided a ray of optimism in a contest in which Bangladesh was utterly outmatched. India had scored 540, and Ashraful stayed steady while the rest of his squad fell. It's one of those innings that, although not enough to win, merits praise for its tenacity and determination. Sometimes, the best knocks result in appreciation rather than triumph.
Now, you may be asking how crucial boundaries are in a Test match. Sure, we're used to T20 cricket , when every ball should fly out of the park, but Test cricket is more akin to a chess match. Patience, planning, and timing are critical. When players like Mayank, Sachin, or Ashraful turn up the heat, it's a completely different story.