Patience dictates Tanzid’s rare feat

Bangladesh opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim walked towards the dugout of Darwin’s Marrara Stadium to a well-deserved standing ovation. Respect was what the visitors wanted from this Test series in Australia, and after two days of play, they have earned it in style. If Hasan Mahmud showed the way with a six-wicket haul on the opening day, Tanzid’s maiden Test ton against arguably the best fast-bowling unit of this era underlined how far the Tigers have come since their last tour here.

This time, he did keep things simple. The context of the innings, however, is enormous.

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A Test hundred is special; a maiden one in Australia is something else altogether. But Tanzid arrived with a reputation for being flashy. Here, he stepped outside those expectations to become the batter he wanted to see in himself.

Just recently in Zimbabwe, he was getting out to shots more akin to white-ball cricket. On Thursday, he got a reprieve early following a rash aerial shot. He curbed those instincts through the first day and carried that discipline into the second.

In only his second Test, Tanzid dictated proceedings with patience in one of the hardest places to score runs.

For Tanzid, the transition from white-ball cricket to Test cricket was always going to be closely watched. He has a good first-class record, but Australian conditions are something different altogether.

“It’s actually nothing major [adapting to red-ball]. When I was selected for the Test team, everyone gave me a very clear message about how I should play. I felt that I should just bring the same mindset I normally use in ODIs and try to play with that here,” Tanzid said at the press conference yesterday.

“Since they didn't bowl any bad deliveries or give me much room, and maintained very tight lines, I just tried to play with as much patience as possible for as long as I could,” added the 25-year-old.

He left deliveries alone and resisted the temptation to take on the short ball, knowing the risk outweighs the reward. He used soft hands to guide Mitchell Starc or Josh Hazlewood square of the wicket. The technique was only part of it, though. Scoring runs against the best team in the world requires mental toughness.

“I was actually prepared for this beforehand [for Australia’s sledging]. I knew that when they weren't getting wickets, they would give us a hard time, whether through their bowling or by talking. They did it a little bit, but not too much. Since I was already mentally ready for it, I didn’t give it much importance,” he said.

Tanzid’s only extravagant shot came when he charged Beau Webster and hit it out of the park. “He always bowls in a consistent line and length, so I was trying to just play differently,” he said.

Tanzid’s Australian foray has already produced its share of twists. He dropped Steven Smith on day one, only for Smith to return the favour by dropping Tanzid on day two. He was getting an idea of Test cricket, and even his hero Adam Gilchrist was watching.

“Getting a standing ovation is a really great feeling. That is perhaps the true beauty of Test cricket, and I felt that today.”