Taijul follows in Shakib's footsteps
It was Taijul who tested South Africa’s batting line-up. Of the 6 wickets that fell for the visitors, Taijul claimed 5.
With South Africa's score nearing 100, Taijul Islam struck a blow. The Bangladesh spinner bowled debutant Matthew Breetzke, who left the ball, only to be bowled. The Bangladeshi cricketers celebrated the wicket, with Taijul at the centre of the jubilation. Mushfiqur Rahim came over and congratulated the left-arm spinner by lifting his collar. And deservedly so – Taijul reached the milestone of 200 wickets in Test cricket, becoming only the second Bangladeshi bowler to do so.
On the first day of the Mirpur Test between Bangladesh and South Africa, 16 wickets fell. Winning the toss and choosing to bat, Bangladesh were bowled out for a mere 106 runs. However, it was Taijul who tested South Africa's batting line-up. Of the 6 wickets that fell for the visitors, Taijul claimed 5.
It was his fourth wicket that took him to the 200-wicket milestone, making him the second regular member of Bangladesh's Test team, after Shakib Al Hasan, to reach the landmark.
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Shakib still leads the list with a substantial margin, having taken 246 wickets in 121 innings from 71 Tests. Taijul, who has long been in second place, now has 200 wickets. In one aspect, however, he has surpassed Shakib. While Shakib took 54 Tests to reach 200 wickets, Taijul achieved the feat in his 48th Test. This was also Taijul's 13th five-wicket haul in Test cricket, the second most for Bangladesh.
Taijul was elated to reach the milestone, but he sees it not as a source of pride but rather as something for which he is grateful to his creator. He remarked, "It feels good. There are many bowlers around the world who have 200 wickets... or 300, 400 wickets. Our players don't play that many Tests, so not many have achieved it. But I'm one of the few. It's not a matter of pride. Allah has granted it, Alhamdulillah it has happened."
The top two names in the list of Bangladesh's highest wicket-takers are Shakib and Taijul. The third is also a spinner: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who has taken 183 wickets in 48 Tests, the same number of matches as Taijul. The bowler in fourth place, Mohammad Rafique, retired long ago, with 100 wickets from 33 Tests. Fifth on the list is Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, who claimed 78 wickets in 36 Tests, making him the leading pacer among Bangladesh's bowlers.
