In a great display of resilience and skill, Bangladesh cricket achieved a historic victory against England on October 30, 2016, marking their first-ever Test win against a full-strength major cricketing side. The 108-run triumph at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur was historic, not just for its result but for the extraordinary performances of Bangladesh’s young players, especially the standout 19-year-old off-spinner, Mehidy Hasan Miraz. This win levelled the two-Test series 1-1.

A series with ups and downs

The series had started with high hopes for Bangladesh after a near-win in the first Test in Chittagong, where they fell short by just 22 runs. However, the loss did not dampen the team’s spirit. Under the leadership of captain Mushfiqur Rahim, they regrouped, strategising to combat England’s strong lineup, which included names like Joe Root, Ben Stokes and captain Alastair Cook. The second Test in Mirpur started with Bangladesh batting first and scoring 220 runs with opener Tamim Iqbal scoring a century.

Mehidy Hasan’s magical spin

In both innings of the Mirpur Test, Mehidy Hasan's bowling was central to Bangladesh's success. The youngster took six wickets in England's first innings, finishing with figures of 6 for 82, and then bettered it with another six-for in the second innings, ending the match with 12 wickets. His combined haul of 19 wickets over the two-Test series became the most wickets by a Bangladeshi bowler in a Test series, making this an incredible debut for him on the international stage.

England’s struggle against spin was evident as they faced a challenging target of 273 runs in the fourth innings. At tea on day three, they seemed well-positioned, needing 173 runs with all ten wickets in hand. However, the game swung dramatically in Bangladesh's favour post-tea, as England’s batting lineup began to crumble against Mehidy and the experienced left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan. England lost all ten wickets in just 23 overs, collapsing from a solid position to being bowled out for just 164 runs​.

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