NEW DELHI: Put into bat by Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain the famed Indian top order was rocked early in the first Test at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Thursday.
And it was young right-arm medium pacer Hasan Mahmud who justified his captain’s decision to bowl first as there was moisture in the Chepauk wicket in overcast conditions.
Captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal opened the Indian innings and got off to a cautious start with the ball moving around off the seam to keep the batsmen guessing.
And it was on the first ball of the sixth over when Hasan Mahmud got the first breakthrough as he had Rohit caught by his Bangladesh counterpart Shanto at second slip.
Mahmud bowled a good length ball just outside off stump, that slightly seamed away to open up the Indian captain. Rohit defended with soft hands but the outside edge carried to second slip where Shanto took the catch.
The next man in, Shubman Gill played out the rest of the over without scoring a run, enabling Mahmud to complete a wicket-maiden over.
But Mahmud had Gill in his next over by strangling him down the leg-side with an innocuous full ball well down the leg-side that Gill thought he would put away easily with a flick, but he got an inside edge and wicket-keeper Litton Das moved to his left to take it with ease. Gill fell for a duck.
Then came the big fish. The biggest of them all. Virat Kohli walked out to the wicket exuding trademark confidence and swag.
The former Indian captain got off the mark with a flick to deep backward square leg for a single, but Mahmud looked set to go for the kill.
In his next over, Mahmud bowled a pitched up delivery outside off and Kohli brought out a big forward stride to block it off.
The next ball was the doom delivery. Mahmud pitched it up again outside off and Kohli went for the drive, playing away from his body, but the ball just moved away a bit, Kohli got an edge and Litton Das accepted the catch gleefully.
Kohli gone for 6. India 34/3 in 9.2 overs. Wrecker-in-chief: Hasan Mahmud.
So who is Hasan Mahmud?
Hasan Mahmud made his international debut for Bangladesh in 2020 and has since become a key player, particularly in limited-overs formats.
Hasan Mahmud made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in March earlier this year and this Test against India is only his fourth game in the traditional format.
Hasan Mahmud is known for his pace, control, and ability to swing the ball, especially in white-ball cricket.
He has also been impressive in domestic cricket and Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), showcasing his potential as a future star for Bangladesh’s fast bowling attack.
Mahmud has the ability to bowl in both powerplay and death overs, making him a versatile bowler in any format.