Jason 'Dizzy' Gillespie 201 Not Out
It was a remarkable moment in Test cricket. Having bowled Bangladesh out for 197 just after tea on Day 1, after they won the toss and batted, the wicket of Matthew Hayden brought Jason 'Dizzy' Gillespie to the crease as nightwatchman. 6.4 overs later, Phil Jacques 38 went home with Dizzy 5 not out.
Rain delays on Day 2 only allowed 22.2 overs but Dizzy stuck it out and partnered Ricky Ponting (19) to stumps 28 not out. Rain on Day 3 brought only 64.2 overs but enough to see Dizzy reach his maiden Test Century, going to stumps 102 not out off 296 balls, after 93 overs at the crease.
If that was not exhilirating enough, a full day's play on Day 4 brought the unbelievable. Dizzy went bat shit and off just 42.3 overs carted another 99 runs to achieve, for the first time by any nightwatchman, a double-century.
The declaration was made and Dizzy walked off to a heroes salute with 201 runs not out, after resisting 425 balls in 574 mins. An astonishing innings that included 26 4's and two 6's (116-runs in boundaries) as if the heat and humidity and rain and breaks in play was not breathtaking enough.
- Full Scorecard Here
384 runs behind, Bangladesh had a good crack to make Australia bat again, whacking 304 off just 80 overs of which Dizzy, rightly so, only bowled 4. Sadly though, this was Dizzy's final Test of a stellar, injury-plagued, short-career of only 52 Test Matches, though retaining his Cricket Australia contract for a further two years. He could have played 92 Tests since his debut in the Australian summer of 1996/97.
It was raw, hardened, disbelieving amazement. It epitomised the reason why we follow Australian Test Cricket Tours. Anything can happen and in Bangladesh 2006 it did, such as Dan Cullen making his Test debut in Chattogram and like Dizzy, never playing for Australia again, never having batted!