Tamim Iqbal is a left-hander batsman from Bangladesh, known for his aggressive batting style across all three formats of the game. He has played 70 tests and has scored well above 5000 runs, including 9 centuries and a double-century as well. He is currently the skipper of Bangladesh’s ODI team. In this article, we will have a look at the top ten test knocks by this bashing opener.
1. 103 Vs England
Tamim scored his third test century, against England at the home of cricket, the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. In the first test of the 2010 test series, after having forced to follow on, Tamim tried his level best to propel the Bangladesh batting in their second innings. He scored a quick 103 off just 100 balls, hitting 15 boundaries and a couple of sixes. His strike-rate was amazingly over 100. However, in spite of his best effort, Bangladesh lost the test.
2. 104 Vs England
Tamim scored yet another century against the European giants in 2016 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. In the second test of the 2016 test series, after coming out to open the innings, he scored his century in just 147 balls. He hit 12 boundaries in this innings with an impressive strike-rate of over 70. Though the visitors got a first-innings lead, their poor batting in the second innings ensured the hosts won the match by a huge margin of 108 runs.
3. 108 Vs England
Tamim Iqbal’s love story with England continued as he claimed yet another century against this opposition in the second test of the 2010 series, after already scoring a ton in the first. In reply to England’s first innings total of 419, Tamim was the lone warrior in the Bangladeshi innings at Manchester. He scored a quickfire 108 in just 114 balls, striking the ball to the boundary rope 11 times and an over-boundary as well. His strike-rate was over 90 in this knock of his. However, the other batters failed miserably, resulting in England winning the match comprehensively.
4. 109 Vs Zimbabwe
Tamim scored his fifth test ton at Khulna in the second test of Zimbabwe’s tour of Bangladesh in 2014. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, opener Tamim played a relatively slow knock. He faced 332 balls to reach to his triple-figure mark. His innings comprised 10 boundaries and his strike-rate was just about 25. Thanks to his prolific batting display and Shakib’s century, Bangladesh posted a huge total of 433 in their first innings. This first innings lead eventually helped the hosts win the match by a huge margin of 162 runs.
5. 109 Vs Zimbabwe
The Bangladeshi opener scored yet another century in the very next match, the third test of the series between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe at Chittagong in 2014. Once again, the hosts won the toss and elected to bat first. Both the Bangladeshi openers were in sublime form as they both reached the three-figure mark. Tamim once again scored 109 runs, but this time in 171 balls. His innings comprised 14 fours and a six. Like the previous one, Bangladesh won this test match as well by 186 runs.
6. 126 Vs New Zealand
In the first test match of the series between New Zealand and Bangladesh in 2019, Tamim Iqbal scored another ton, his 9th in tests at Seddon Park, Hamilton. He reached this milestone in the first innings of the match and faced just 128 balls in this innings. He had an impressive strike-rate of 98.44 as he struck 21 fours and one six. However, New Zealand proved to be too strong for the visitors as they crushed Bangladesh by an innings and 52 runs.
7. 128 Vs West Indies
Tamim’s maiden test ton came against the West Indies in the first test of the series between the two nations at St. Vincent in July, 2009. Though Tamim scored just 14 runs in the first innings, he impressed in the second as he reached to his first three-figure mark in test. He faced 243 balls and hit 17 boundaries in this innings of his. His knock helped Bangladesh win the match by 95 runs, and he was adjudged the Man of the Match.
8. 133 Vs Srilanka
The bashing lefty’s most recent century came against Srilanka in the first test of the series between the two nations in 2022 at Chittagong. In reply to Srilanka’s huge first innings total of 397, the Bangladeshi openers gave a stable start to the innings. Tamim Iqbal was among the two players to reach the three-figure mark in the Bangladesh innings. He scored a 218-ball 133, sending the ball to the fence 15 times. He also had a decent strike-rate of 60 in that innings.
9. 151 Vs India
In the second test of India’s tour of Bangladesh in 2010 at Dhaka, after getting out for a duck in the first innings, Tamim Iqbal tried his level best to save the test for his team in the second innings. He played a fine innings of 151 off just 183 balls, hitting 18 boundaries and 3 sixes in his innings, striking at over 80. However, he could not save his team from suffering a crushing defeat by the visiting team.
10. 206 Vs Pakistan
The innings that tops this list is the batsman’s maiden double-century in this format. After Pakistan imposed a massive first innings lead of about 300 in the first test of the series at Khulna in 2015, the hosts looked quite settled in their second innings. Tamim was the leading scorer of the lot, getting past his double-century in 278 balls. He hit 17 boundaries and as many as 7 sixes to reach this milestone. His innings helped Bangladesh ensure a draw in the match, and also earned him the Player of the Match award.
