Nijat Masood, a 24-year-old cricketer from Afghanistan, made a stunning impact on his Test debut, joining an exclusive club of players who have achieved a five-wicket haul in their maiden match. His remarkable performance came during the one-off Test against Bangladesh at Mirpur, where he displayed his skills as a right-arm pacer to pick up impressive figures of 5/79 in the first innings.
Before Masood, it was Amir Hamza, a 31-year-old slow-left-arm-orthodox spinner, who became the first Afghan player to achieve this feat on his Test debut back in November 2019 against West Indies. Now, Masood has joined him, showcasing the immense talent and potential within the Afghan cricket team.
Masood’s journey to this remarkable milestone began a year ago when he made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe. Since then, he has represented Afghanistan in three T20Is, where he displayed his capabilities by taking four wickets. However, it was his Test debut that truly announced his arrival on the international stage.
In a moment of pure brilliance, Masood became only the seventh player in Test history to claim a wicket with his very first delivery, dismissing Bangladesh opener Zakir Hasan in the second over of the match. This extraordinary achievement puts him in the esteemed company of legendary bowlers like Richard Illingworth, Nilesh Kulkarni, Chamila Gamage, Nathan Lyon, Shaminda Eranga, Dane Piedt, and Hardus Viljoen.
Throughout the match, Masood’s performance remained exceptional. He made an immediate impact by taking two wickets on the first day and followed it up with three more in the first session of the second day. His crucial scalps included important batsmen such as Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, and Mushfiqur Rahim, contributing significantly to restricting Bangladesh to a total of 382 runs in their first innings.
