It may not be the achievement that cricket-loving boys and girls dream of but credit to Sohag Gazi for becoming the first player to score a century and take a hat-trick in the same Test match. It's quite surprising that, after 140-odd years and 2,097 games, nobody has done it before, really. Not Rhodes, not Sobers, not Benaud, Miller, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram or indeed someone who made little other impression on international cricket but for an obscure record in Wisden.
The Bangladesh v New Zealand 1st Test was heading for a probable draw after two high-scoring first innings when the 22 year-old off-spinner from Barisal induced an edge from Bracewell which caught the 'keeper's pads before Shakib Al Hasan dived forward to take the catch and seal a hat-trick. This prompted an immediate declaration but there was time neither for Bangladesh to reach the 256 target nor the Black Caps to capture the requisite ten wickets in 50-odd overs.
Sohag Gazi was presumably delighted with his 6-77 to accompany his first innings unbeaten 101. However, I suspect it was much later when he was informed his hat-trick had created a Test first in only his seventh appearance for Bangladesh in five-dayers. It's less than a year since his debut against the West Indies at Dhaka. He picked up a six-for in that one, too. For four days, it was a similar game to this week's; both sides topped 500 first time out (Chanderpaul scored 203 not out), then the debutant gave Bangladesh a chance of victory. However, their batting wasn't up to the task and Tino Best's 5-24 secured a 77-run win for the visitors.
The following week, his colleague Abul Hasan also launched his Test career with a record, as he smashed 113 at number ten. Sohag had a tough first innings, opening the attack and ploughing through 57.3 overs while Darren Bravo, Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels (260) racked up the runs. Four months forward to Sri Lanka and nobody took more than his three wickets at Galle - eight centuries suggests it was a track as flat as a pancake. In the succeeding tied series 1-1 in Zimbabwe, Sohag collected a few more wickets and contributed some late-order runs but nothing prepared us for the hundred/hat-trick double of this week.
Time will tell whether he can prove to be more than a fifteen-minute wonder. A satisfactory start to his Test and ODI career bodes well but how will he fare against some of the top sides lie India, South Africa and England? Bowling with Shakib could be an awkward proposition on an Asian turner but given that Bangladesh are awarded precious few series against the ICC big boys, we may never know. At least Sohag Gazi's name will remain in the record books forever.
