Tanzid emerges from the shadow of Tamim with maiden ton

For a player destined to be endlessly compared to a Bangladesh legend, Tanzid Hasan made a name for himself with his superb maiden Test century.

Facing up against a full-strength Australian attack, Tanzid put Bangladesh into the driver's seat of the first Test by reaching his hundred during day two's second session.

He reached the mark with a punch to long off, then punched the air in delight and completed the celebration with a very firm glove punch with captain Najmul Shanto. 

"This is very special for me because this is the first time I am here," a grinning Tanzid told Fox Cricket at the tea break. 

"They came at me very differently and I was trying to play normal cricket shots and keep calm myself. I wasn't trying too much. I just played the ball." 

His innings ended shortly after raising his bat after a very good Mitch Starc catch at long off. A lapse in concentration saw him chip a full ball from Nathan Lyon straight to the tall fast bowler. 

Despite having a reputation as a free-flowing batter, the 25-year-old was patient in his approach but showed signs of his attacking brilliance with shots like his straight six off allrounder Beau Webster.

The opener's full name is Tanzid Hasan Tamim, with Tamim being his 'dak nam', an informal nickname given and used by Bengali families.

Naturally, since Tanzid picked up a cricket bat for the first time, he has been inextricably linked to the former Bangladeshi power hitter Tamim Iqbal, who was the country's star player through Tanzid's youth.

And as the talented kid from Bogra found himself flourishing as a left-handed opener with a penchant for fast runs, the comparisons came whether he liked it or not.

Thankfully, he did.

"I loved that my name was like Tamim bhai's, and that I bat left-handed like him, too," Tanzid told cricinfo.com in 2023.

"I am also an opener like him. But my parents didn't name me after Tamim bhai."

Bangladesh players to score a Test hundred against Australia:

Shahriar Nafees 138, Fatullah 2006

 

Tanzid Hasan 101, Darwin 2026

Playing just his second Test following a maiden appearance against Pakistan in Sylhet in May, he was given a life on just his sixth ball – while still on zero - after Lyon failed to get a hand on a skied ball in the second over of the innings.

Despite boasting an ODI strike rate of 101.35 (from 40 ODIs), he took a measured approach to his task and got to stumps on day one at 32 off 67 balls.

The morning of day two saw a similarly conservative approach until he charged down wicket and deposited Webster over the long off boundary.

Another piece of fortune came on 62, when a slashed cut shot coming off a diving Steve Smith's wrist at first slip from the spin of Lyon.

A slashed cut for four off Pat Cummins lived up to the Tamim name, which is aptly plastered on the back of his playing shirt.

The youngest player on the field at 25 years and 256 days, his century off 188 balls has set up Bangladesh not just in this drought-breaking Test but for many years to come.

NRMA Insurance Bangladesh Test series

First Test: August 13-17, Marrara Stadium, Darwin, 10am (local)

Second Test: August 22-26, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 10am (local)

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Bangladesh squad (first Test): Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vc), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Musfik Hasan