Be it the flat deck of Rawalpindi, the red-soil surface of Chennai, Darwin’s spicy track in the Australian early summer, the overcast conditions at Canterbury in Kent, or the eerily silent wicket of Abu Dhabi, everything seems to be falling into place for Hasan Mahmud.
Zayed Cricket Stadium sits in Zayed Sports City, Al Rawdah neighbourhood amid the vast Gulf desert. Under the immense heat, with almost no spectators in the stands, the ground offers little beyond silence, broken only by the sound of the ball striking the bat, stumps and gloves.
Yet Hasan Mahmud’s hat-trick made sure his performance spoke loudest, sending a message through the desert breeze drifting across the open sides of the stadium. His mastery of length, combined with a flexible wrist that allowed him to move the ball both ways, produced a moment for Bangladesh that will echo long after the desert heat has faded.
Under the scorching sun in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, Hasan became the first Bangladeshi fast bowler to claim a Test hat-trick, reaching a milestone the Tigers had waited 162 Tests to witness from one of their pacers.
Bangladesh had first tasted a Test hat-trick through Alok Kapali, who achieved the feat against Pakistan in Peshawar in 2003. A decade later, Sohag Gazi followed suit against New Zealand in Chattogram. Thirteen years after Gazi’s feat, Hasan became only the third Bangladeshi bowler to enter that exclusive club.
On the third morning of the one-off Test against Afghanistan, Hasan needed only two overs to turn the game into his own theatre. With the new ball in hand, he found the corridor of uncertainty and began delivering a masterclass in Test-match bowling and Afghanistan were eventually bowled out for 240, handing Bangladesh a first-innings lead of 106 runs.
The third delivery of the 83rd over was a classic. Hasan pitched it on a back of a length, and the ball nipped back just enough, staying low as it hurried through Ismat Alam’s defences to uproot the off stump.
Hasan followed it with another delivery from the same blueprint to dismiss Qais Ahmad. This time, the ball kissed the outside edge before moving away slightly, forcing a sharp reaction from wicketkeeper Litton Das, who dived to his right to complete a brilliant catch.
The hat-trick was within reach now. Zia-ur-Rehman faced another back-of-a-length ball in the same channel. It pitched, jagged back sharply and struck him on the back pad.
Umpire Allahuddien Paleker turned down the loud appeal, but Bangladesh reviewed the decision and it was overturned. Hasan earned his place in history.
He had started the day with one wicket to his name. By the time the innings was over, he had five, removing Yamin Ahmadzai with a late outswinger that took the edge and flew to Litton. Finished the innings with a spell of 21-5-55-5.
It was Hasan’s fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket, drawing him level with Shahadat Hossain for the most five-wicket hauls by a Bangladesh fast bowler. He also became the fastest Bangladeshi pacer to reach 50 Test wickets, achieving the mark in just 17 matches।
The performance in Abu Dhabi was another chapter in a remarkable run that has taken Hasan across vastly different conditions. His county stint with Kent brought 26 wickets in four matches and helped the club earn promotion to Division One.
Among those performances, he also made his mark in Bangladesh’s famous Test victory over Australia in Darwin, finishing with nine wickets in the match, including a six-wicket haul in the first innings that earned him the Player of the Match award.
From the green, overcast skies of England to the hard, sun-baked surface of Darwin and now the still heat of the Gulf desert, Hasan’s rhythm has travelled with him.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief selector Habibul Bashar Sumon was particularly impressed by Hasan’s ability to deliver in Abu Dhabi’s difficult conditions.
“If we look at the conditions, it is very difficult for fast bowlers there. It is extremely hot, and the pitch does not offer much either. So, taking five wickets on this surface is a big achievement. I think he bowled very well,” Bashar told reporters.
He also praised Ebadot Hossain for his contribution, noting that the conditions were expected to favour spin.
“Given the hot and humid conditions, both teams felt the spinners would get more assistance. But the way our fast bowlers performed in these conditions was absolutely brilliant. Hasan Mahmud and Ebadot were both outstanding.”
