Gazi's double celebration
Plays of the day from the fourth day of the first Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand in Chittagong
Mohammad Isam in Chittagong
12-Oct-2013
Sohag Gazi celebrated his fifty like a hundred, and his hundred like a double-ton • AFP
The happy accident
After Mominul Haque's quiet appreciation of the crowd's adulation, the celebrations for Sohag Gazi's twin landmarks was on another scale. After reaching a maiden half-century, he took off his helmet and whooped towards the dressing room. The century celebration was longer, as would be the case for any bowler who got his first Test hundred. Gazi ramped the ball past point, turned around and screamed at the top of his voice. As he was running back, he bumped into non-striker Rubel Hossain who should have seen Gazi coming.
After Mominul Haque's quiet appreciation of the crowd's adulation, the celebrations for Sohag Gazi's twin landmarks was on another scale. After reaching a maiden half-century, he took off his helmet and whooped towards the dressing room. The century celebration was longer, as would be the case for any bowler who got his first Test hundred. Gazi ramped the ball past point, turned around and screamed at the top of his voice. As he was running back, he bumped into non-striker Rubel Hossain who should have seen Gazi coming.
The blunder
The first innings didn't go too well for left-arm spinner Bruce Martin. It worsened when he dropped a sitter from Gazi after bowling a full toss. The ball struck the toe of the bat as the batsman went through with the drive, and Martin was poised for the low return but spilled it. Gazi was lucky again a while later when Trent Boult couldn't hold on to another drive. This one was full-blooded and Boult stuck his hand out on his follow-through.
The first innings didn't go too well for left-arm spinner Bruce Martin. It worsened when he dropped a sitter from Gazi after bowling a full toss. The ball struck the toe of the bat as the batsman went through with the drive, and Martin was poised for the low return but spilled it. Gazi was lucky again a while later when Trent Boult couldn't hold on to another drive. This one was full-blooded and Boult stuck his hand out on his follow-through.
The occasion
The crowd was unaware when Bangladesh avoided the follow-on on the third day, but they weren't about to miss another event when on the fourth morning, Bangladesh took the lead. Gazi marked the occasion by lofting Kane Williamson over long-on in the 140th over, for one of his three sixes, and a huge cheer rang around the ground.
The crowd was unaware when Bangladesh avoided the follow-on on the third day, but they weren't about to miss another event when on the fourth morning, Bangladesh took the lead. Gazi marked the occasion by lofting Kane Williamson over long-on in the 140th over, for one of his three sixes, and a huge cheer rang around the ground.
The delay
Until 2011, a 20-minute shower at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium would have meant days lost in a Test. It wasn't the same after the whole outfield was relaid and a drainage system was put in. The ground has been raised by two feet, which meant there was hardly any water on the outfield after the downpour in the afternoon. However, the curator thought it would take him an hour to get the ground ready for play, which resulted in the early call-off.
Until 2011, a 20-minute shower at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium would have meant days lost in a Test. It wasn't the same after the whole outfield was relaid and a drainage system was put in. The ground has been raised by two feet, which meant there was hardly any water on the outfield after the downpour in the afternoon. However, the curator thought it would take him an hour to get the ground ready for play, which resulted in the early call-off.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. He tweets here