Pakistan take 1-0 lead
Bangladesh suffered yet another innings defeat, this time against Pakistan in the first Test yesterday at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, leaving many questions dangling about their sorry state of affairs in the game’s highest format. The answers must come sooner than later to salvage some pride as an Elite Member.
To secure the massive innings and 184-run victory, Pakistan hardly faced any resistance from Bangladesh. It was truly a one-sided affair and a boring game of cricket. The visitors have completed the job within fifty minutes in the second session of the fourth day to take the expected 1-0 lead in the two-match series. It was Bangladesh’s ninth worst defeat overall, fourth innings defeat against Pakistan in seven encounters and their 35th innings defeat in 72 Tests: a dreadful record to own.
The performance in the first Test against Pakistan once again showed how badly the country’s cricket is being run. The players must take responsibility for their poor application and lack of temperament in batting but one should dig deep to find the real reasons behind the continuous failure. The authority concerned with running the show should understand that international cricket is not a real platform for learning the crafts but for ready individuals.
It was just a shame for a Test-playing nation when the Akram-Khan led selection panel brought an out-of-form player like Mohammad Ashraful to the team. It showed their helplessness and the sordid picture of the game in the country as it is running without back-up players.
The 275 runs in the second innings might not look ugly especially after their first innings debacle where they were bundled out for 135 runs. That almost confirmed the fate of the match but the second innings is in no way any consolation for their slightly improved batting. The batsmen continued in their senseless vein against the versatile Pakistan bowling attack on the flat track.
Debutant Nazimuddin however deserved some praise for his fighting 78 that came after batting more than four years and batting out 186 balls. But still the way the right-hander lost his composure after making his fifty simply go with the almost incurable problem of the Bangladeshi batsmen. Starting the day on 41, the local man looked uncomfortable from the very beginning of the day and was beaten several times but didn’t loss patience and determination as he trudged towards the fifty. But suddenly Nazimuddin went for the big shots which also included two sixes. He paid the obvious price, offering a catch to Saeed Ajmal at mid-off off left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, who was the most successful bowler with 4-88.
Earlier Shakib Al Hasan was the first victim of the day after he was trapped in front by Rehman but before that, the left-hander completed his ninth Test fifty while captain Mushfiqur Rahim also got back among the runs with an 88-ball 49.
The efforts from Nazimuddin, Shakib and Mushfiqur helped Bangladesh make a somewhat healthy total but that was not good enough to stop the soul-searching about the team’s recent helplessness in the five-day game.
But first, the cricket board must be accountable for the empty cellar that is undermining the privilege of playing Test cricket.
-With The Daily Star input
