Mushfiqur’s 100th ODI today
On the eve of today’s crucial second day-night one-day match, the pitch has become the centre of discussion following Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim’s disappointment over the surface of the first game which the home team lost by 40 runs.
The Tigers go into the second one-day match against West Indies today at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur with a must-win situation to stay alive in the three-match series and with a hope that the wicket will favour the local slow bowlers in the do-or-die battle.
The second match is going to take place at the same pitch where the lone T20 international match between the two sides was held four days back. The Bangladeshi bowlers did well in the T20 match which they won by three wickets and it is expected that the slow bowlers will get some turn from the pitch. If that is indeed the case then Mushfiqur, who raised questions about the behavior of the pitch after the defeat in the first match, will definitely be a happy man.
“It was important what Mushfiq (Mushfiqur Rahim) said after the match. The ball didn’t turn in the first half and virtually it made the difference between the two teams. The second match will be held in the pitch where we played the T20 match and in that case it will not easy for the West Indies batsmen to bat comfortably against our spinners,” said Shahriar Nafees, who didn’t play the first match and looks set to be overlooked again as the team think-tank preferred an unchanged playing eleven.
There had been however also different opinion regarding the pitch issue among the players. “It was a very good wicket for the one-day cricket and we must play good cricket in this kind of surface. I think there is no point to talk about the pitch as the reason for the defeat rather we should concentrate on our own performance,” observed a player, who didn’t want to mention his name.
For a positive result, Bangladeshi bowlers must keep their discipline unlike in the first game and players like Tamim Iqbal must come up with his best. Tamim was below par during his 38-ball 21 in the first game and that might be the reason the dashing opener along with some other players, who were not part in the playing eleven in the first game, appeared in the nets yesterday despite optional practice.
It also seemed that coach Stuart Law had a special session with the left-hander in the indoor nets.
West Indies didn’t turn up at the ground yesterday for practice rather they stayed at the hotel but the good news for the visitors is that captain Darren Sammy has been recovering well from an upset stomach and is most likely to play the important second match.
It’s a crucial match for Mushfiqur to keep the series alive and nothing can be better for the wicketkeeper batsman if he can win his first one-day game as a captain in his 100th ODI match.
-With The Daily Star input
