Though painful, Bangladesh’s losing streak is nothing new in the annals of Test history
IT took New Zealand 26 years to break their winless deadlock in Test cricket when, in their 45th match. That was when they defeated West Indies in Auckland, in 1955-56. The Kiwis then had to wait for another 14 years to claim their first series victory during a historic tour of Pakistan in 1969-70.
Bangladesh, in contrast, have yet to surpass both the duration and Tests that New Zealand played. Yet, Bangladesh’s brief Test history has come under spotlight from every corner of the globe where the game flourishes. However, their performance in the last six months or so, must have given them a lot of heart.
The besieged Bangladeshis can still draw some comfort in the knowledge that it took India over 19 years and 25 Tests, to breathe easy with that elusive first victory, beating an under-strength England at Madras (now Chennai) in 1951-52. A season later India also pocketed their first series with a 2-1 defeat of Pakistan.
South Africa waited for 17 years, but they only took 12 Tests to break the duck. However, their greatest joy of winning turned into a series triumph when England were beaten in all three Tests played at the Old Wanderer Ground in Johannesburg way back in 1905-06.
Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, who preceded Bangladesh into Test cricket, won their first matches at the highest level in less than four and three years, respectively. Sri Lanka clinched victory in the 14th Test over India at Colombo in 1985-86, taking the series as well.
Zimbabwe’s maiden success was against Pakistan in their 11th Test. It turned out to be a memorable event at Harare in 1994-95 with brothers Grant and Andy Flower scoring centuries. Their first series win was also achieved at Pakistan’s cost, beating the home team 1-0 in the 1998-99 season. The final Test of that series at Faisalabad was abandoned without a ball being bowled for a peculiar reason: fog.
Australia, of course, emerged as Test cricket’s first winners, defeating England in the inaugural encounter at Melbourne in March 1877 by 45 runs. Remarkably, the dose was repeated exactly 100 years later on the same turf against the same opponents by the same margin.
England avenged defeat in the first-ever Test match in history 21 days later also at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Pakistan required just 11 days and a second match to notch up their first win, overcoming old rivals India at Lucknow by an innings, having lost the opener at Delhi. New Zealand were the opponents that Pakistan conquered on home soil to secure their first series victory in 1955-56.
West Indies made an inauspicious entry, losing all three Tests in England by an innings in 1928. But they made up for it with a win in their 6th Test — against England — at Georgetown in 1929-30. England also provided West Indies with a maiden series victory in 1934-35.
Just before Bangladesh faced the mighty Australians in their own den, David Hookes, the former Australian batsman, suggested a ‘one-day Test’ against the minnows. Dennis Lillee, the great Aussie fast bowler, called for a two-tier Test championship with the weaker teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe playing for promotion from the second group.
Despite their creditable performance in Pakistan, the fact cannot be denied that Bangladesh are currently passing through a most unwanted streak, having lost the last 18 Tests on the trot, a world record that is mounting. In 24 Tests since their debut in November 2000, Bangladesh have been beaten heavily in all bar one — against Zimbabwe at Dhaka in 2001 — when the final two days of the match were washed out with the home side close to yet another big defeat.
Thus it was to their credit that Bangladesh managed to stretch Australia in the last Test, forcing Steve Waugh’s juggernauts to complete an innings victory on the fourth afternoon in Cairns.
Defeat in the second Test against Australia was Bangladesh’s 15th by an innings. But even then Waugh praised his opponents and predicted a happier time for them on the forthcoming series in Pakistan.
“I can think of some batting lineups worse than the Bangladeshis,” the 38-year-old Australian captain remarked after wrapping up the series. “Their batting was a lot better than some West Indies’ efforts in recent years and they were better than Pakistan in Sharjah last year.” And he proved mighty true, for Pakistan clearly struggled on the field to stamp their authority.
Waugh urged the detractors to be fair despite the appalling track record of Bangladesh in Test cricket. “It’s easy to write off a side because they lost by an innings, but they will improve. They have got a lot of talent.”
The record-breaking and history-loving Australian icon admitted he was shocked when Bangladesh reached 150 for one midway on the first day of the Cairns Test on a pitch that was supposed to aid the dreaded pace trio of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee.
“Day one was a good performance,” Waugh said. “We expected three or four early wickets at least, so when they were 150 for just one on a wicket that was doing a bit, that was quality batting. “They were positive, their body language was good, they took some balls on the body... I would say they’re on their way.”
Another man to be pleased at Bangladesh’s gradual progress Down Under, is their coach Dav Whatmore, the Colombo-born former Australian Test batsman who guided Sri Lanka to a famous World Cup title in 1996.
“Maybe against other opposition in the future it might be just that little bit easier and we can progress,” Whatmore had noted. “It still won’t be easy, but the difference between Pakistan and Australia is fairly sizable,” was his fair assessment.
Despite the 0-3 scoreline against them, the Bangladeshis must have finished the Australian Test tour on a relative high as compared to what must have been the dressing-room atmosphere in the past. In terms of the bottom line, the nightmare for Bangladesh continues, and the world will have to wait for them to turn things around.
Though painful, Bangladesh’s losing streak is nothing new in the annals of Test history 
