Architect of Bangladesh’s famous win against New Zealand on Wednesday at the Bay Oval, Ebadot Hossain said this triumph will inspire generations and set a benchmark for the players who come to this country in the future.
Ebadot, whose 4/39 on Tuesday had put Bangladesh in a strong position, took two more wickets on Day 5 morning including the priced scalp of Ross Taylor to swing the game in their favour.
The youngster finished with 6/46 in the second innings as New Zealand could only add 22 runs to their overnight total of 147/5. Bangladesh were given a target of 40 runs to win.
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“I would like to give thanks to Allah for the Test win. Our brothers and teams didn't get a win in the last 21 years in New Zealand. We set a goal this time. We raised our hand,” Ebadot said after the eight-wicket win as Bangladesh chased down the target in 16.5 overs.
“We have to beat New Zealand in their own soil. Now that we have defeated the World Test Champions, our next generation has to beat New Zealand,” he added. Bowling on New Zealand pitches isn’t an easy job and Ebadot admitted he needed to be patient for success.
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It was only Bangladesh’s sixth Test win away from home also ended New Zealand’s unbeaten streak in its last 17 Tests at home. For the record, New Zealand are ranked No. 2 in the world while Bangladesh are way below at No. 9.
Ebadot also credited Bangladesh’s West Indies-born bowling coach Ottis Gibson for his transformation as a fast bowler, for urging him to pitch the ball up on off stump. That was the key to Bangladesh’s bowling success.
“In the last two years, I have been working with (bowling coach) Ottis Gibson,” Ebadot said. “Conditions are always flat at home. We are still learning how to bowl and reverse in away conditions. I am trying to hit the top of the stumps. I needed to be a little patient for success to come.”
The turning point of the match came on Day 4 when Ebadot dismissed Will Young, Henry Nicholls and Tom Blundell within a space of 11 balls. That really broke the backbone of the New Zealand batting line-up from which they never recovered.
This was Bangladesh's first win against New Zealand in New Zealand in any format and also the first Test win against a top-five team away from home. Bangladesh haven't won any of their previous 43 matches in New Zealand across formats before Wednesday's win.
Ebadot’s rise in cricket is nothing short of a fairytale. He joined Bangladesh Air Force in 2012 as a volleyball player before winning a pace hunt competition in 2016 conducted by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. A good show there opened the doors for Ebadot in cricket as he was picked for BCB’s High-Performance program.
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“I am a soldier of Bangladesh Air Force so I know how to do the salute. It was a long story, from volleyball to cricket. I am enjoying cricket, representing Bangladesh and Bangladesh Air Force.”
Meanwhile, Bangladesh bowling coach Ottis Gibson had also praised Ebadot for his eager-to-learn attitude. “The first thing to know about Ebadot as a person is that he only came to cricket about five years ago,” Gibson told on Tuesday.
“He won a fast-bowling competition somewhere and two years later he was playing international cricket. He’s a joy to work with because he’s enthusiastic and he wants to learn so much. When his confidence is high he can bowl spells like this,” he added.
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Interestingly, Ebadot, who was the leading wicket-taker for Central Zone in the 2017–18 Bangladesh Cricket League, made his Test debut against New Zealand three years ago. He had dismissed Neil Wagner as his first maiden Test wicket.
