TheBangladesh men's national cricket team, popularly known asThe Tigers,is administered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. It is a full memberof theICC with Test, ODI andT20I status. It played its first test in November 2000 against India. In this article, we will have a look at the top 10 highest scores by this Asian team in tests.
1. 503 Vs Zimbabwe
The Tigers secured their 10th-highest test score against Zimbabwe in 2014 when the latter played the hosts in the 3rd test at Chittagong. Coming out to bat first, the hosts went off to a flying start with both their openers scoring centuries. While Tamim Iqbal scored 109, the other opener Imrul Kayes scored 130 runs. Mominul Haque and Shakib-al-Hasan also scored 48 and 71 runs respectively. Their contributions, along with the other batters helped them gather a massive 503 runs on the board in the first innings. Bangladesh went on to win the match by 186 runs and Monimul was awarded the Man of the Match award.
2. 508 Vs West Indies
Bangladesh scored their 9th-highest test total in late 2018 when the West Indies side visited them for a two-match test series. In the second test held at Mirpur, the hosts batted first, after winning the toss. Shadman Islam gave the hosts a good start and scored 76 runs. Their skipper Shakib also played a fine knock of 80 runs off 139 balls, while Litton Das scored 54 runs off just 62 balls. However, the show-stopper of the innings was Mahmudullah, who scored a blistering knock of 136 runs. All these contributions helped the team score this mammoth total. Bangladesh went on to win the match by an innings and 184 runs and Mehidy Hasan was awarded the Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling figures in both the innings.
3. 513 Vs Sri Lanka
Bangladesh played 2 test matches against Sri Lanka in early 2018. In the first test match held at Mirpur, the hosts elected to bat first after winning the toss. The openers were in sublime form, as Tamim scored 52 runs and Imrul Kayes scored 40. After the fall of the first wicket at 72 runs, Mominul Haque walked out in the middle and contributed heavily. He scored 176 runs off 214 balls. Apart from them, their wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim and skipper Mahmudullah scored 92 and 83 runs respectively. As a result, the Bangladesh innings ended with a mammoth 513 runs on board. However, the match ended in a draw due to a good fightback from the Lankans. Mominul Haque was awarded the Player of the Match award for scoring two centuries in two innings.
4. 522/7d Vs Zimbabwe
In late 2018, Zimbabwe toured Bangladesh for a two-match test series. In the second test held at Mirpur, the hosts came out to bat after winning the toss. Though both the openers failed to put runs on the board, Mominul Haque and wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim contributed heavily for their team. While the former scored 161 runs off 247 balls, the latter went on to complete his double-century, adding 219 runs on the board. Such was the impact of these two innings that the Asian side declared on 522/7, despite the other batters not contributing significantly. Bangladesh won the match by 218 runs and Rahim was awarded the Player of the Match for his brave knock.
5. 541/7d Vs Sri Lanka
In the first test of the Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka test series held at Pallekele, the visitors elected to bat first after winning the toss. Though they lost the wicket of one opener quite early, the other opener Tamim Iqbal scored 90 runs of just 101 balls, scoring 15 boundaries in his innings. Apart from his contribution, Najmul Shanto and captain Mominul Haque also contributed massively. Shanto went on to score 163 runs while the latter scored 127 runs. Half-centuries from Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das put the visitors in a very strong position and helped them to post 541 runs on the board, following which they declared. The match ended in a draw.
6. 555/6 Vs Pakistan
In the first test of the Pakistan tour of Bangladesh test series, held at Khulna in 2015, Bangladesh posted their 5th-highest test score. In reply to Bangladesh’s first innings total of 332, Pakistan scored 628 in their first innings. Bangladesh had to put a valiant fight in the second innings in order to save the match. Their openers didn’t disappoint as they contributed 312 runs in the opening partnership. Tamim Iqbal scored a scintillating knock of 206 runs off just 278 balls while his partner Imrul Kayes scored 150 runs. Contributions from Mahmudullah (40 runs) and Shakib (76 runs) helped the visitors save the match, as Bangladesh scored 555 runs for the loss of 6 wickets by the end of the final day. Tamim won the Man of the Match award.
7. 556 Vs West Indies
Bangladesh secured their 4th-highest test score in 2012 when the West Indies played against them in the first test of a series at Mirpur. In reply to the visitor’s first innings score of 527, the host posted 556 runs on the board. Naeem Islam stole the limelight of the Bangladesh innings with his century. Apart from his innings, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib, Nasir Hossain and Mahmudullah all scored half-centuries.They scored 72, 89, 96 and 62 runs respectively. Their captain Mushfiqur Rahim also scored 43 runs to strengthen the innings. However, the host lost the match due to a batting collapse in the second innings.
8. 560/6d Vs Zimbabwe
When the African nation Zimbabwe visited Bangladesh for a single test match in early 2020, the hosts won the match by an innings and 106 runs. In reply to Zimbabwe’s first innings total of 265, the hosts scored a mammoth 560 runs at the loss of 6 wickets, following which they declared their innings. Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim were the key performers for the home side, as they scored 132 and 203 runs respectively. Opener Tamim Iqbal also contributed with 41 runs, as a result of which Bangladesh registered their third-highest test score. Mushfiq Rahim was awarded the Man of the Match for his well-played double-century.
9. 595/8d Vs New Zealand
The second-highest test score for Bangladesh came when they played New Zealand in the first test of the series at Wellington in 2017. Coming out to bat first, Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal started the proceedings with a quick-fire 56 off just 50 balls. Top-order batsman Mominul Haque also scored 64 runs. However, Shakib-al-Hasan and captain Mushfiq Rahim stole the limelight as they went on to score 217 and 159 runs respectively, building a giant 359-run partnership. Bangladesh declared on 595 runs at the loss of 6 wickets. In spite of this bold statement in the first innings, the hosts however lost the match due to a batting collapse in the second innings.
10. 638 Vs Sri Lanka
The highest total ever scored by the Bangladesh Cricket Team in tests dates back to 2013, and that too on away soil. In the first test of the series against Sri Lanka at Galle in 2013, the visitors accumulated this mammoth total in reply to the hosts’ first innings score of 570. Former Bangladesh skipper Md Ashraful scored 190 runs, while the then-captain Mushfiqur Rahim scored a scintillating double-century. Nasir Hossain was also amongst the run-getters, scoring exactly 100 runs. All these valuable contributions put Bangladesh in a good position as they ended their innings with 638 runs on the board. The match, however ended in a draw.
