March 2020. Hasan Murad had just returned from South Africa as part of Bangladesh’s historic Under-19 World Cup-winning side. The celebrations and media frenzy were still in full swing.

But the young left-arm spinner wasn’t too interested in the limelight.

While many of his teammates enjoyed their newfound fame, Murad quietly travelled back to Dhaka from his hometown Cox’s Bazar — already thinking ahead to senior cricket.

This reporter found him then, bowling tirelessly on the concrete wicket at Shamoly Club Ground nets. Murad kept hitting the same patch of the good-length area, ball after ball, working on his release position with quiet precision. 

Between deliveries, he was also correcting his friend’s bowling action — a glimpse of the student and teacher that lived within him.

That quiet obsession soon bore results. Later that year, Murad topped the first-class bowling charts in the National Cricket League (NCL), taking 33 wickets at an average of 15.58. In the following year’s Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL), he again finished as the top wicket-taker with 22 scalps at 19.45.
He didn’t stop there.

In his next 22 first-class innings, Murad claimed 63 wickets — numbers the national selectors could no longer overlook.

He earned his maiden Test call-up in November 2023 for the home series against New Zealand, but competition and team combinations kept him waiting on the sidelines for two more years.

That wait finally ended on Tuesday at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, where Murad received his Test cap from another left-arm spinner, Taijul Islam.

Leading into this series, the 22-year-old had been in fine touch. Even in the recently concluded NCL T20s — a format few thought would suit him — Murad claimed 14 wickets in eight innings, proving his versatility and temperament.

The boy from Cox’s Bazar, who climbed through every level of Bangladesh cricket — from BKSP to age-group and domestic cricket — had finally become the country’s 108th Test cricketer.

True to his journey, Murad had to wait for his first Test wicket too. He was first denied when captain Najmul Hossain Shanto dropped a sharp catch off Lorcan Tucker. Moments later, another potential wicket was overturned by the third umpire.

But patience — as ever — paid off.

Murad’s maiden Test wicket came when Curtis Campher edged one to Shanto after a steady 44. Soon after, Tucker (41) charged down the track and was beaten by turn, stumped sharply by Litton Das.

Murad ended Day One with an impressive 2 for 47 — the figures of a debutant who had long earned his place.

What stood out, beyond the numbers, was his calm, composed demeanour — traits that have defined his rise through Bangladesh’s cricketing ranks.

Among those most pleased was pacer Hasan Mahmud, a long-time teammate from Chattogram Division.

“Murad is a very good player in my view,” Hasan said after the day’s play. “I’ve played many first-class matches with him, and we’ve been teammates since our junior days. His debut today was very good — he bowled in the right areas and got his rewards. Inshallah, he’ll settle into this level with time.”

From concrete wickets in Shamoly to a Test debut in Sylhet — Murad’s story remains one of patience, discipline, and belief quietly rewarded.