lucky cola Cricket Stories 2024, August: Bangladesh's Rawalpindi Miracle; Shikhar Dhawan Calls It Quits
Pakistan vs Bangladesh 2nd Test Day 5: Bangladesh's players pose for photograph after winning test cricket series | Photo: AP/Anjum Naveed Pakistan vs Bangladesh 2nd Test Day 5: Bangladesh's players pose for photograph after winning test cricket series | Photo: AP/Anjum Naveed In the seventh installment of our 12-part series, we relived James Anderson's emotional retirement and Zimbabwe humbling Pakistan at the grandest of stages. We now move to Part 8, which recounts the noteworthy August happenings in the world of cricket. (More Cricket News)
Read Part 6 HERE, Part 7 HERE
AUGUST 25 – BANGLADESH STUN PAKISTAN AT RAWALPINDI
Bangladesh recorded the biggest overseas win in their Test cricket history hammering Pakistan by 10 wickets in the first Test at Rawalpindi.
Despite conceding 448 in the first innings, Bangladesh, led by a brilliant 191 by Mushfiqur Rahim, overhauled the Pakistani total and massed 565 – it was only the third instance of them crossing 500 in an overseas Test
The fast bowlers struck early in the Pakistan second innings reducing the home team to 66/3 in the 26th over before the spin duo of Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz ran through the middle and lower-order routing the hosts for 146 in just under 56 overs.
Bangladesh knocked off the target of 30 without any damage and registered a famous win by 10 wickets.
However, not everyone from the team flew back home as PR Sreejesh stayed back in the French capital for the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
It was only their seventh win overseas – previously, they had won two Tests each in the Caribbean and Zimbabwe and one each in Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Bangladesh went on to create history by winning the second Test too, also at Rawalpindi, by six wickets
They were reeling at 26/6 in the first innings before Litton Das combined with Mehidy Hasan Miraz and added a match-changing 165 for the seventh-wicket.
Das went on to produce a sublime 138. Bangladesh secured victory by six wickets and won the series 2-0. Miraz was adjudged the Player of the Series for his 10 dismissals andvital contributions with the bat.
It was a historic series win for Bangladesh – their greatest moment of triumph in Test cricket. They had previously won just two series overseas – in the Caribbean in 2009 and in Zimbabwe in 2021 and had never defeated a major Test playing nation with the exception of West Indies in a series.
AUGUST 4 –THE WORLD OF CRICKET LOSES GRAHAM THORPE
Graham Thorpe’s long-standing battle with depression ended his life on the 4th of August in Esher on the outskirts of London
Thorpe made his debut in 1993 and played 100 Tests for England in an international career spanning 12 years.
He aggregated 6744 runs at an average of 44.66 with 16 hundreds. Thorpe was England’s leading run-getter during his career.
bonanza138 slotAUGUST 20 – SAMOA BATTER SHATTERS YUVRAJ SINGH’S RECORD
Darius Visser of Samoa created history in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup qualifier against Vanuatu in Apia by smashing 39 runs in an over making it the most expensive over in T20I cricket history.
Visser blasted Nalin Nipiko for six sixes in the 15th over of the innings (though not consecutive) which also included three no-balls.
Yuvraj Singh, Kieron Pollard and Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Aireeare the only three batters to have hit six consecutive sixes in a T20 international.
AUGUST 24 – DHAWAN CALLS IT QUITS
Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket after a stellar career which spanned 20 years.
Dhawan will down in history as one of the finest opening batters in ODI cricket having amassed 6793 runs in 164 innings at an average of 44.11 and strike rate of 91.35.
His exploits included 17 hundreds and he formed a formidable opening pair with Rohit Sharma in the format. Dhawan had a penchant for raising his game in the big tournaments and had an average of 65.2 across two World Cups and Champions Trophy editions.
He was the Player of the Series in India’s triumph in the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.
AUGUST 31 – A HUNDRED IN BOTH INNINGS AT LORD’S FOR ROOT
Joe Root created history by becoming only the 13th batter from England (5th in this millennium) to register a ton in each innings of a Test.
Root achieved the feat in the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s on the last day of August.
Root also broke Alastair Cook’s record for the most hundreds by an English batter in Test cricket after recording his twin centuries (33rd and 34th) at Lord’s.
That concludes part 8 of the 2024 cricket series. The ninth installment will India's version of Bazballlucky cola, Australia's historic one-day international streak, and much more.