Micromax ODI CUP – Bangladesh vs New Zealand
Hard work pays dividends
The Micromax Cup, apparently the largest trophy for a bilateral series, will soon have a permanent place at the heart of the museum at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
The foot-long adornment will set the entrance of the Mirpur venue alight due to its eye-catching design and sheer size, plus the importance of the trophy will give it the centre stage.
And much like that long aisle at the home of cricket, cricket folklore of this country will have to be reconstituted, stretched from one side to make room for the memories of the epic series against New Zealand that concluded on Sunday.
Maybe Rubel Hossain’s yorker that ended New Zealand’s innings in the fifth and final one-dayer would be the freshest in our mind, but a look back at the two last two weeks would bring back some great moments.
It all started with rain playing a major role in New Zealand’s adjustment to Bangladeshi conditions. It washed out their two practice matches with such finality that the players didn’t even have to turn up in BKSP on October 1 and 3.
Two days later, Bangladesh brilliantly latched on to those uncertainties among the Kiwis by bowling intelligently and making sure the loss of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (in the third over of the Kiwi chase) did not affect them. Shakib Al Hasan’s four-wicket haul included the McCullum brothers dismissed in crucial moments, the thruster Jesse Ryder and Grant Elliott but what would later become an enduring part of the series was how brilliantly Nazmul Hossain, Shafiul Islam and Rubel would mix up the slower balls and the fast yorkers. Nazmul was unlucky to have hurt a finger in the match to put him out of the rest of the series but the Kiwi batsmen had not much of an answer to the younger duo.
The teams had a five-day unscheduled break as rain again washed out a match, this time the second ODI of the series. It gave New Zealand chance to prepare a little more but on October 11, their wheels came off in the morning. Shafiul removed McCullum early to set the tone for the spinners to take charge and it was newcomer Sohrawardi Shuvo, only a-wicket old in international cricket, came to the party with three wickets. Shakib’s captaincy too stood out, as he swiftly changed ends and made sure the new Kiwi batsmen kept facing left-arm spinners.
Later, Shahriar Nafees announced his second coming in the national side, hitting 73 and with no memories of his terrible Test against India earlier this year. His fielding too has caught the eye but he needs a few more big scores to cement a place in the World Cup squad. The seven-wicket defeat was the biggest against a top-flight team but New Zealand looked less so after the two games.
Things got a little tougher for them as Shakib reached a different level in the series-deciding clash on October 14.
The left-hander peeled off a century from a dire situation and, as if that wasn’t enough, took three crucial wickets to confirm once again his stature as the No. 1 all-rounder in the world. His captaincy is also a plus and Bangladesh would miss a good captain if they chose otherwise in the World Cup.
The fourth game also ensured that bringing a new fielding coach has paid off as Julian Fountain, with all his efforts, made slow-movers like Nafees and Abdur Razzak pull off major coups with their fielding. When Rokibul Hasan gulped down Kane Williamson’s final fling in the air, Bangladesh clinched the series with a match to spare.
On the eve of the final game of the five-match series, the Tigers asked around if 4-0 would be considered a whitewash and in less than 24 hours time, completed the rout with another thrilling victory.
The Tigers’ batting completely came off in the last game but as the day wore on and the Kiwi openers came out, there was an air of the inevitable around the fielders. Rubel hustled with his 80mph and the Kiwi top and middle order had little to say and as soon as the game was meandering away, out came Shafiul with his diving catch that removed Vettori.
If there was one catch that could change the way the world looked at Bangladesh cricket from now on, this would be it. Rubel finished off the job and celebrations began as Bangladesh won a battle against cricket’s elite for the first time in its history.
But with every big success, the failures become less visible and there were some during this series.
The players, officials, coaches and everyone related to the game in Bangladesh must (and one couldn’t stress that enough) not be complacent and wait for things to happen. This series is as much a success as it is a sign of how hard work can take you to new heights.
