Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan now the youngest captain ever to win a test match
Ace leg-spinner Rashid Khan has broken Waqar Younis’ record to become the youngest captain to win a Test, as his Afghanistan side beat Bangladesh by 224 runs to record their second win in their third test match at Chittagong.
Not only that, the 20 years and 354 day old record-breaker, on his debut as skipper, also picked up the Man-of-the-Match award for his 11-wicket haul in the contest and a half-century in the first innings.
Played in Bangladesh’s port city, between the 5th and 9th of September, this was a one-off test. Afghanistan were awarded Test status in 2017 and had only played two matches prior to this game, losing to India and defeating Ireland.
The record, which had stood for 25 years, was set in similar circumstances. Pakistan’s Waqar Younis, who like Rashid was also making his debut as captain and led Pakistan to a 131-run victory against Zimbabwe in Karachi in 1993-94 at the age of 22 years and 20 days.
It is worth noting that Rashid simultaneously broke a secondary record by a whisker, as he became the youngest cricketer ever to lead a Test side, overtaking Tatendu Taibu, who captained Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka at Harare in 2004 at the age of 20 years and 358 days.
He now has some remarkable stats accrued over the three test games to date: 20 wickets taken at an economy rate of 18 runs apiece, as well as a total of 104 runs with the bat at an average of 20.80. In terms of playing for his country, Rashid has appeared in 62 One-day Internationals and 38 Twenty20 Internationals.
Afghanistan has also assumed the mantle of joint-fastest nation to reach two test wins along with Australia, who achieved that particular honour back in 1879.
The record breaking test match
Having chosen to bat first, Afghanistan’s Rahmat Shah hit a sparkling first-innings 102 with Asghar Afghan not far behind on 92, underwritten by a lively knock from debutant captain Rashid of 51 off 61 balls, including three sixes, as the visitors posted an initial total of 342.
Bangladesh at the crease did not get off to the best of starts. Openers Shadman Islam (0) and Soumya Sarkar (17) were out for minimal return, Rashid trapped Liton Das 13 balls later for 33. Mominul Haque looked to be in good nick, but fell shortly after reaching his fifty, to a Mohammad Nabi offbreak. Then Rashid, appointed as captain for all three formats back in July, went to work. He quite simply demolished the Bangladesh middle order, finishing with 5 for 55, ably supported by Nabi making his farewell appearance, who took 3 for 56, as Bangladesh laboured to an uncomfortable first-innings total of 205.
Afghanistan’s second innings was by no means as prolific as their first, at 260 all out. Despite Ibrahim Zadran hitting a steady 87, a 50 from Afghan and Asfar Zazai not out on 48; Bangladesh’s Shakib had taken some promising early wickets. However, even a substantial rain stoppage could not save an out of sorts Bangladesh batting lineup from defeat in the final innings.
Rain delayed the start of the final day’s play on Monday, the umpires eventually getting the game under way at 16:40 local time. However, it was Zahir Khan who shortly thereafter took the prize wicket of Bangladesh superstar Shakib Al Hasan on a promising 44, with his first ball. Al Hasan too holds a record for being ranked as the top allrounder in the One-day International format for 10 years running; indeed he remains among the top 3 in current rankings in all three formats of the game.
Nevertheless, it was that man Rashid Khan who fittingly had Soumya Sarkar caught on just 15 by Zadran for his sixth wicket of the innings with 3.2 overs remaining and went on to dismiss tailender Taijul for a duck, to seal a memorable test win for Afghanistan. A famous record-breaking victory for both him and the team; which he later humbly attributed to the efforts of all the players, coaches and support staff involved.
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