‘Tanzid’s been very impressive’: Ponting showers praise on Bangladesh centurion

Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting praised Bangladesh's Tanzid Hasan after the young batsman scored his maiden Test century in the first Test against Australia at Darwin. The 25-year-old Hasan became the first batsman from Bangladesh to score a Test century on Australian soil. Ponting described Hasan as "very impressive" and "solid in defence", noting that his technique was simple in defending good deliveries and dismissing the bad ones.

Hasan's century came on the second day of the Test match, where he faced 197 balls before being dismissed by Nathan Lyon for 101 runs. This was also Hasan's first away Test hundred since 2022, as Mahdul Hasan Joy scored 137 runs against South Africa in Durban in 2022. The batsman had made his test debut earlier this year, playing in the second Test at Sylhet, where he scored 26 and four runs.

Hasan was given a reprieve on Thursday when he was dropped off his own bowling before being dropped again in the second day of the Test. He eventually fell to Lyon moments after completing his hundred, trying to play an attacking shot and getting caught by Mitchell Starc at long-off. Greg Blewett, a former Australian batsman, also commended Hasan's performance, stating that he played beautifully to reach the milestone.

Bangladesh ended the second day of the Test at a score of 351 for 6 in their first innings, leading Australia by 153 runs. Earlier on Thursday, Australia had been dismissed for 198 runs in 53 overs after winning the toss and batting first. Ponting had criticized the Australian selectors after the opening day of the match, stating that while the team was successful, there were a few weaknesses that needed addressing.