Zimbabwe, Nov 11 : When Mominul Haque reached the half-century mark on Day 1 of the second Test against Zimbabwe in Dhaka on Sunday (November 11), there weren’t any over-the-top celebrations nor did he raise his bat to acknowledge his achievement. He knew that his job only just started and there was still a lot to be done.
Mominul walked out to the crease when Imrul Kayes departed early and the No. 3 bat also saw Liton Das and Mohammad Mithun depart in quick succession, which left Bangladesh reeling at 26 for 3. The Zimbabwe pacers were dictating terms on a wicket that offered them assistance in the first session and considering Bangladesh’s recent history – failing to go past 200 in eight successive innings – another collapse was in the making.
Since his twin centuries against Sri Lanka in Chittagong at the start of the year, Mominul endured a slump in form, managing only 69 runs in his last eight innings before this game, with a highest score of 33. While he had some confidence entering the first Test of this series, having scored an unbeaten 111 in a first-class game, scores of 11 and 9 in Sylhet meant that he had a lot of work to do to re-establish his credentials as a Test batsman.
And he went about doing exactly that, scripting a remarkable turnaround in the company of Mushfiqur Rahim, with whom he added 266 runs for the fourth wicket – the fourth-best stand for Bangladesh in Tests and the highest for the fourth wicket.
Mominul didn’t look in complete control when he started his innings, being struck on his helmet and also getting a lifeline when he was on 9. But he saw through the tough period in the first session, heading into the lunch break unbeaten on 25 off 64 balls.
With the pitch becoming easier to bat as the day progressed, it was time for Mominul and Mushfiqur to reap rewards for their hard work. Mushfiqur was happy to play second fiddle to Mominul, who dealt in regular boundaries in the post-lunch session to bring up his seventh Test ton, off 150 deliveries.
“I think we were so focused on the job, we really didn’t think about getting to a fifty,” said Mominul of his muted celebrations. “It was the type of wicket where losing a wicket was always around the corner, so it was important that we were concentrating fully. Once we got out of the tough situation, we felt more comfortable. I think reaching a hundred always makes you emotional. I didn’t know what I was going to do [to celebrate].”
As soon as he reached the three-figure mark, Mominul made sure to celebrate this by jumping in the air before taking off his helmet and soaking in all the acknowledgement from his partner and the crowd. However, he wasn’t finished yet as he went on to register his third 150-plus score in the five-day format before getting out to the second new-ball while chasing one away from his body.
Rating this knock as one if his best hundreds, Mominul also expressed regret for not being able to remain unbeaten at stumps. “There’s a bit of regret, of course. My dismissal brought along another wicket. It would have been better had I batted for longer for the team,” he said. “I think it is one of my best hundreds. It was an interesting innings. It was tougher than some of my other hundreds because it is a very interesting wicket.
“I should have scored in the last five or six innings. You get out of the rhythm sometimes. Maybe something goes wrong with the routine, which I try to maintain. I don’t try to complicate my batting. It is easier if you focus only on seeing the ball and playing the ball. You have to be mentally strong. Sometimes people say things when I am not scoring runs but that’s normal. Everyone would,” he added.
Crediting Mushfiqur for providing valuable inputs during their partnership, Mominul also insisted that registering his maiden double hundred wasn’t in his thought process. “Mushfiqur bhai guided me throughout my innings. I found out why he is one of the top five players in Bangladesh. It really helped me. I think his input was important for me,” said Mominul.