Taijul Islam, a left-arm spinner, overtook Shakib Al Hasan to become Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket. Islam reached a historic milestone during the second Test against Ireland at Shere Bangla National Stadium.
For years, Taijul Islam has posed the same question at news conferences: how does he compare to or collaborate with Shakib Al Hasan. From the start, he was regarded as the secondary spinner, functioning behind the talismanic all-rounder. However, the picture began to change after 2017, when Taijul took up the primary role during Shakib’s absence from the format.
Taijul Islam and Shakib were equal at 246 wickets heading into the Dhaka Test match.
With Ireland chasing 509, Taijul caught opener Andy Balbirnie lbw in the sixth over of the second innings. The wicket provided Bangladesh with an early breakthrough, but it also propelled the 32-year-old spinner to the top of the country’s wicket records. He later dismissed Paul Stirling and Stephen Doheny, with Ireland finishing Day 4 on 176 for 6. At stumps, Taijul had three second-inning wickets, solidifying his position as the team’s best bowler.
Bangladesh set huge target for Ireland
The record wicket came after a strong first-innings performance where Taijul took 4 for 76, helping bowl Ireland out for 265 and securing a 211-run lead for Bangladesh. His career numbers now read 249 wickets in 57 Tests, including 17 five-wicket hauls and two ten-wicket match hauls.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh remains on top in the Test match. Earlier, Mushfiqur Rahim celebrated his 100th Test with a century, Litton Das smashed 128, and the top order contributed heavily to post 476 in the first innings. Bangladesh then declared at 297 for 4 in the second innings, setting Ireland a near-impossible target of 509.
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