New Delhi: Although it was not exactly a shock result considering how much Bangladesh have improved while playing at home, it was nevertheless their most special win when they beat Australia by 20 runs in the first Test in Mirpur, Dhaka on Wednesday.
It also has to be remembered that Australia have had a long list of failures when playing in Asian conditions, consistently going down with losses against India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
But coming back to Bangladesh and what was on the expected lines, Shakib Al Hasan played a starring role as he bagged 10 wickets in the match along with clubbing 89 runs. He in fact became the first man to score over 80 runs and bag 10 wickets in the same Test match for the second time.
With a batting average of 41 and a bowling average of 32, the 30-year-old is simply an outstanding cricketer, perhaps the best all-rounder in the world. It was a Test match to remember for Shakib for picking up the man-of-the-match award in his 50th game in the longest format.
He perhaps is still an underrated cricketer because it is rare to have a batting average greater than your bowling average in all formats as is the case with Shakib in not just Test cricket but all the formats of the game. He gave us a reminder of his class with a magnificent performance in the battle against Australia.
