Dhaka to host a Test match after 29 years (12 March 1999)
KARACHI, March 12: Dhaka's Bangabandhu National Stadium will be hosting a Test match after a gap of 29 years and 120 days when Pakistan play Sri Lanka in the final of the Asian Test Championship on March 12
12-Mar-1999
12 March 1999
Dhaka to host a Test match after 29 years
Abid Ali Kazi
KARACHI, March 12: Dhaka's Bangabandhu National Stadium will be
hosting a Test match after a gap of 29 years and 120 days when
Pakistan play Sri Lanka in the final of the Asian Test Championship on
March 12.
In all Bangabandhu National Stadium (formerly known as Dhaka Stadium)
has staged 7 Test matches.
The first Test match staged on the Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka
was between Pakistan and India in 1954-55 on Jan 1, 2, 3, 4, 1955. It
was also the first-ever official Test match played on Pakistani soil
which ended in a draw. In four days only 710 runs were scored off
387.3 overs; an average of 1.83 runs per over. This was also the first
first-class match played on this ground.
New Zealand played a Test here on their 1955-56 tour which was spoiled
by rain. Next visitors to this ground were the West Indians who lost
the Test to Pakistan by 41 runs in 1958-59 thanks to Fazal Mahmood's
devastating bowling who claimed 12 wickets for 100 runs in the
match. Richie Benaud's Australians won their Test match on this ground
by 8 wickets against Pakistan in 1959-60. England drew the next two
Tests on this ground in 1961-62 and 1968-69.
New Zealand played the last Test against Pakistan on this ground in
1969-70. They drew this match and took the series by 1-0 margin. This
was their first series win since they started playing Test cricket in
1930.
Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka will also become the fourth Test
Ground in the history of Test cricket to stage a Test match where the
home country is not involved. The first three are Old Trafford, Lord's
and Trent Bridge in England. These grounds became neutral Test venues
in the Triangular Test series between England, Australia and South
Africa in 1912 when they staged the three Tests involving Australia
and South Africa.
Bangabandhu National Stadium is located in the north of the main city
area near Purana Paltan Road and Bangabandhu Avenue. The outer rim of
the stadium holds an entire shopping centre plus other offices,
including the Bangladesh Cricket Board. It is a bowl-shaped ground
with floodlights and an electronic scoreboard. The two ends are known
as Pavilion End and Paltan End.
Following are a few records:
- First Test Match Pakistan v India, 1954-55
Source :: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)