In a team that wears its emotions on its sleeves, Hasan Mahmud is an exception. He doesn't believe in exaggerated celebrations, lacks the aggression of a pacer, but is fast becoming a master at making the ball talk.
On the opening day of the first Test against India in Chennai, the 24-year-old Bangladesh bowler grabbed the spotlight with a three-wicket burst in the first session, which rocked a famed batting line-up comprising heavyweights Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill.
Considering the batters he dismissed in only his fourth Test, one would have expected the quality pacer to celebrate it appropriately. But he restricted it to just a few high-fives and hand-shakes with his colleagues.
"I don't really celebrate and there's no real reason why. You could say that if I celebrate after taking a wicket, it will make the batter feel more upset so that's why I don't celebrate," he had said at a press conference.
The bowler though expressed his delight at sending back the likes of Kohli and Rohit, and Rishabh Pant in the second session, at the end of the day's play in Chennai.
"I'm just happy. When you take their wickets who are the best right now, naturally one would be happy," Mahmud, whose career has been plagued by injuries, said.
Born into a farmer's family in a village near Chattogram, Mahmud is a product of Bangladesh's age-group system, and was rated by South African pace great Allan Donald and former West Indies speedster Ottis Gibson as the best fast bowler to have come out of the country.
Both Donald and Gibson had been part of the team's coaching staff in the past. Also, Russell Domingo had termed his ability to swing the ball "god-gifted".
Mahmud showed why he is rated so highly during Bangladesh's historic Test series sweep in Pakistan recently, and he did an encore on Thursday against a far better batting line-up.
"I was in my zone. So, it's been very joyful, whoever's wickets you are taking, any batsman. So, it's been very good," he told reporters after the end of day's play.
"My plan was very simple. I keep the ball in shape every time and try to bowl a bit up, seam up and shape the ball out or in any time. So, I was trying that."
He came through the Bangladesh Cricket Board's age-group structure, starting with Chattogram Under-16 in 2015.
In 2018, Mahmud made it to the Bangladesh squad for the U-19 World Cup in New Zealand, finishing as the side's second-highest wicket-taker.
A year later, he was picked in the U-23 squad, participating in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, followed by the South Asian Games.
After his exploits in Dhaka Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League and Bangladesh Cricket League, Mahmud earned his maiden T20 International call-up against Zimbabwe in 2020, followed by his One-Day International debut the subsequent year.
However, he had to wait four years before making his Test debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year, in which he grabbed six wickets.
When asked how he kept himself going, he said, "At that time, I used to play our first-class matches at home. So, I used to try my best there before I got the call-up," Mahmud said.
"So, I am doing very well now. I want to keep it that way."
One of the striking features of his bowling is his ability to move the ball both ways.
"I will keep trying to improve my bowling movement as much as I can. But, I want to thank everyone for helping me," he added.
Speaking about his performance here, Mahmud said, "I think during the day, from the morning, it was like the ball zipped on the wicket. Later on, the wicket got settled, and the ball was coming to the bat nicely. Still, the fast bowler is getting the zip," he said.
"We were trying to dominate from the morning, but the wicket has improved a lot now. So, we are trying to minimize the runs and the boundary."
"The momentum was with us at one point, but now it has shifted to the other side. Anything can happen. Tomorrow, we get another chance and we will try to work on it," he signed off.
