Rarely a team rely too much on debutant players like Bangladesh did on the opening day of the first Test in St Vincent on Friday when maximum workload was shared by two newcomers Taijul Islam and Shubhagata Hom. Mushfiqur Rahim’s decision to protect his eight batsmen and expose the inexperienced attack, forced Taijul and Shubhagata feel the pressure of Test cricket in less than two hours after they were handed the Test cap.
There were no senior cricketers to shield them while a confused skipper Mushfiq had had very little to offer. Yet they can both lay claim to survive the day successfully despite West Indies making 264-3 on back of an unbeaten 123 from Kraigg Brathwaite.
‘I knew there could be some pressure, but I did not pay too much attention to it,’ said Taijul, who was the pick of the bowlers with 2-69. ‘The first day went really good for me because there was almost nothing in the wicket for the bowlers.’
Taijul expected to play Test cricket sooner or later ever since he burst into the limelight with the Bangladesh Cricket League last season. His role as the main spinner was also confirmed when Bangladesh suspended Sakib al Hasan and were later compelled to withdraw Sohag Gazi from the Test squad.
He was sent early to adapt to the condition, though Taijul said he came to know about playing this match on Friday morning.
Shubhagata followed the opposite script as his inclusion in the Test squad alone was more than a surprise.
It was more surprising to see him play something which could not be imagined even a few weeks ago. Shubhagata himself admitted that he started taking bowling seriously only two years ago in the National Cricket League.
His success as an off-spinner was nothing remarkable, yet chief elector Faruk Ahmed saw something very special in him.
It was a kind of gamble that Bangladesh played five years ago when they debuted Mahmudullah as an off-spinning all-rounder at the same venue against West Indies.
The gamble paid off as Mahumudullah picked up eight wickets in two innings to help Bangladesh post a 95-run victory.
His bowling against a West Indies side that played with seven debutants, however, proved to be a false dawn as the off-spinner could never replicate the performance at the Test level. His 5-51 in 2009 in the St Vincent Test still remained as his best bowling.
Mahmudullah is also playing in the ongoing Test but after receiving a hammering in the first five overs, which cost him 31, Mushfiq did not dare to give him the ball again. The skipper rather relied on Mahmudullah’s clone Shubhagata, who, however, is unlucky as there are not many debutants in this West Indies side.
Still, Shubhagata, who bowled highest 27 overs to claim the wicket of Chris Gayle, seemed to be satisfied.
‘I was excited to be able to play Test cricket. But I did not want to take too much pressure on me,’ said Shubhagata.
-With New Age input
