Record-breaking Hasan Mahmud savours a special milestone
Hasan Mahmud became the first Bangladesh pacer to pick up a five-wicket haul on five different occasions
Hasan Mahmud wrote his name in the history books on the second day of the second Test against West Indies in Sylhet.
The right-arm pacer became the first Bangladesh fast bowler to claim five five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. Former pacer Shahadat Hossain picked up five wickets in an innings on four occasions, while Robiul Islam, another pacer from an earlier generation, achieved the feat twice. Among the current crop of fast bowlers, only Nahid Rana has claimed multiple five-wicket hauls, having done so on two occasions.
Hasan reached the milestone following his six-wicket haul on the second day. It was a particularly memorable feat for him, as it was his first five-wicket haul at home. He had previously claimed five-wicket hauls against Pakistan (Rawalpindi, 2024), India (Chennai, 2024), Australia (Darwin, 2026) and Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi, 2026).
Hasan is enjoying a purple patch in 2026, having claimed three five-wicket hauls this year. He has also taken on the responsibility of leading the pace attack and has done so with a smile on his face. It was no surprise to see skipper Najmul Hossain, who had faced criticism for opting to play two pacers in the Sylhet Test, hand the responsibility to Hasan earlier in the day. The right-arm pacer made good use of the second new ball.
Hasan executed his plan well, going around the wicket to dismiss centurion Amir Jangoo, who had looked confident until then, with a big inswinger. The 27-year-old pacer used the crease and created angles to make the left-handed batter hesitate. He eventually dismissed Jangoo with a length delivery that jagged back and hit the stumps. Hasan bowled much fuller than he had on the opening day, and it paid dividends as he dismissed West Indies captain Roston Chase off the very next delivery, with the batter edging behind while attempting to defend.
Hasan, who had claimed a hat-trick against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi in the previous match, was denied another opportunity on Friday when Joshua Bishop came in to face the hat-trick delivery. Bishop was given out lbw by on-field umpire Asif Yaqoob, but successfully overturned the decision through DRS. Three overs later, Hasan dropped Bishop off his own bowling but eventually completed his five-wicket haul thanks to a brilliant piece of stumping by Litton.
The charismatic wicketkeeper came up to the stumps against Bishop, and the move also helped Hasan enter the history books. He became the first Bangladesh fast bowler to claim a Test wicket through a stumping. “At that time, the batsman (Jangoo) was actually playing by stepping out. Later, Shanto Bhai (captain) told me that if he (Litton) kept up to the stumps, maybe the batter wouldn't move his feet so much and his shot-making would also decrease a little,” Hasan told reporters after the game.
“Then I said to Dada (Litton), if you are comfortable, then of course we will go according to your plan. Later, he came up to the stumps and a good plan was executed.
Hasan added that claiming five wickets at home was always special to him, but said he tried to keep things simple. “Getting five wickets at home is always very special for me. I keep things very simple. But I will definitely try harder to get ahead” he said, adding that Virat Kohli's wicket was particularly close to his heart among all the wickets he had taken in his career.
Hasan said the conditions at Sylhet were conducive to fast bowling during the first two hours before becoming more batter-friendly. “The conditions here were very helpful for the fast bowlers in the first one or two hours. There was seam movement, there was swing. But ultimately, after two hours, it became flat and batter-friendly,” he pointed out. “Even then, we communicated what our plan would be and what the process would be. Every bowler tried to give their best and contribute to the team."
Hasan said the team had different plans for bowling with the new and old balls, adding that he focused on executing his plans without losing discipline. “We have a plan for bowling with the new ball and another for the old ball. With the new ball, we try to bowl as full as possible, around the top of off stump. There is seam movement and swing, and the batter has to play. When the ball gets old, we bring the length back a little and think more about being economical. Maybe we won't attack at that point; we'll bowl defensively. We'll build pressure from both ends, with maidens and maidens. Those are the plans,” he concluded.
