25 years on, Ashraful’s historic test century still shines
Published: 08 September 2026, 7:50:19
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Bangladesh were still a fledgling Test nation at the time. On September 8, 2001, they played their fifth Test. The match was part of the Asian Test Championship. Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were the three teams in the tournament, which was held in Sri Lanka.
The series turned into a nightmare for Bangladesh. They lost both matches by an innings. But one moment gave the country a reason to be proud. A Bangladeshi teenager saw his dream come true that day.
Twenty-five years ago on this day, Bangladesh’s wonder boy Mohammad Ashraful etched his name in cricket history at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. He scored 114 in the second innings against Sri Lanka. Despite Bangladesh suffering a humiliating innings and 137-run defeat within three days, the teenage batter drew the world’s attention with his remarkable performance.
Sri Lanka declared their first innings at 555 after dismissing Bangladesh for 90. Bangladesh resumed their second innings on the third day at 100 for four after Javed Omar Belim had offered some resistance. Ashraful was unbeaten on four.
He helped Bangladesh recover from their first-innings collapse, building partnerships with Aminul Islam and Naimur Rahman. He added 126 and 96 runs with the two batters respectively.
Even after reaching the 90s off 158 balls, Ashraful continued to bat fluently. He brought up his century in spectacular fashion. He hit Chaminda Vaas for a boundary to reach the milestone in 169 balls, with 14 fours.
Scoring a Test century on debut is undoubtedly a distant dream for most teenagers. The challenge becomes even greater when facing bowlers like Muttiah Muralitharan and Vaas. But Ashraful turned that dream into reality.
Recalling his century, he said, “I had difficulty sleeping last night. I was dreaming about Lara’s 375 and scoring a century myself. I told my captain, Naimur, about the dream in the morning. He told me I could make it come true. So I decided to play positively.”
According to his passport, Ashraful scored the century at the age of 16, one day before his 17th birthday. His debut century also ended a 30-year-old record.
According to his birth certificate, Ashraful became the youngest Test centurion at the age of 17 years and 63 days. He broke the record of Pakistan batter Mushtaq Ahmed, who was 17 years and 81 days old when he scored a century against India in Delhi during the 1960-61 season.
Ashraful’s historic innings came from 212 balls and included 16 fours. Despite Bangladesh’s heavy defeat, his remarkable innings earned him the joint Player of the Match award with Muralitharan.
Captain Naimur said of Ashraful, “I always felt this was going to be his match. But Ashraful’s innings was extraordinary. He played like an experienced champion.”
That day, the teenager lit a torch of hope that continues to burn even today. His remarkable achievement remains a beacon for Bangladesh through the many ups and downs of the country’s cricket history.
