Uncharacteristically patient Tanzid dedicates maiden century to his parents

Tanzid Hasan Tamim dedicated his maiden Test century, an innings built on uncharacteristic patience against Australia's frontline attack, to his parents, saying afterwards that he had simply tried to judge every delivery on its own merit rather than target any particular bowler.

The left-handed opener made 101 off 197 balls in only his second Test, laying the foundation for Bangladesh's substantial first-innings lead in Darwin before falling shortly after the drinks break in the second session. Speaking at the end-of-day press conference, he explained the thinking behind such a disciplined knock.

"The plan was to see how we could get through the first session. They bowled very well too. Our effort was not to do anything extra. It feels really good to score a century in only my second Test."

Facing an attack of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon, Tanzid said he never singled out any one bowler for special treatment.

"I have never batted by looking at the bowler. I tried to play according to the merit of the ball." Asked which of the four had troubled him most, he gave the same answer, insisting his focus stayed purely on the ball itself rather than the reputation behind it.

The century carried extra meaning given the opposition and the setting, prompting him to dedicate it to his family.

"Since the century is special, I want to dedicate it to my parents," he said, adding that the ovation he received from the Darwin crowd as he walked off had left a lasting impression. "It felt really good. Perhaps this is the beauty of Test cricket, which I experienced today."

Tanzid described the new-ball periods as the toughest phase of his innings, crediting Bangladesh's approach for helping the side survive them.

"They are the number one team, so they will obviously create difficult periods. I felt that playing the new ball against them was a bit tough. We tried to reduce unnecessary shots, rotate the strike, avoid bad shots and build partnerships."

He pointed specifically to the value of his stands with Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque and Mushfiqur Rahim in helping Bangladesh post a big total.

With Bangladesh closing the second day 153 runs ahead and four wickets still in hand, Tanzid said the priority now was simply to occupy the crease for as long as possible.

"As long as I was batting, the wicket felt very good. Even at the end, the way Hasan and Miraz bhai were batting, it still looked good. But they are bowling in very good areas. The longer we can bat, the better it will be for us."

He added that with three days remaining, Bangladesh intended to bat through as many sessions as they could to ease the pressure on their bowlers later in the match.

The innings also produced a personal moment away from the middle. Interviewed during the tea break by former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, a player Tanzid has long admired, he said the exchange meant a great deal to him.

"Adam Gilchrist has been one of my favourite players since childhood. Before the interview, he told me that he had really enjoyed my batting. That was a wonderful thing to hear."

Tanzid credited Bangladesh's build-up for the platform the side has built across the first two days, pointing to a settling-in period before the match got under way.

"It was excellent preparation for us. We arrived here on 1 August. After that we had several practice sessions and also played a warm-up match, which helped us a lot."