The post Seeking a turnaround appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>The Tigers’ shift to Chittagong is sure to bring back memories of the turnaround during the World Cup. And if that thought passes them by, a glance from the bus window would surely help them remember what happened here seven months ago.
The road towards the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, and the stadium itself, is still decked in World Cup colours. It could help trick Mushfiqur Rahim’s men into thinking that they have returned to those few days when they arrived with the “58 all out” disaster weighing on them heavily, before they shocked England on March 11. The inspiration is much needed, of course, because of the Tigers’ current state — already down 2-0 in a three-match ODI series against the West Indies and with a Test match just a few days away.
There will be some changes to the Bangladesh team that lost the first two ODIs, with Abdur Razzak making way for Sohrawardi Shuvo and Mohammad Ashraful also unlikely to retain his place, in which case Shahriar Nafees will slot in.
Added to the misery of the series defeat is the weather in the port city. Heavy rain, for more than 45 minutes, interrupted the Tigers’ warm-up session but it was the leaden sky above the cricket ground that would have worried everyone.
The forecast for today and the next few days will also force the groundstaff to stay alert as the areas not covered, around 10-15% of the ground, don’t dry up fast. The poor drainage facilities at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium will ultimately be the major hindrance for the ODI series to end properly and the Test series to begin. According to sources, the National Sports Council had allocated Tk 3 crore for complete overhauling of the venue but the project was shelved as it would have meant the port city missing out on international cricket this series.
West Indies trained in bright conditions during the morning session but it has turned into a wet welcome for a team that has returned to Chittagong after their last bilateral series in 2002, when they beat the Tigers by seven wickets. From that team led by wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, only Marlon Samuels and Shivnarine Chanderpaul remain in the visitors’ squad though the 133-Test veteran will only be part of the Test team.
Earlier in the 2002 series, the first ODI was washed out at the MA Aziz Stadium, ominous for today’s game though the threat of another damp squib is nothing new for this city, or the new international venue. An ODI each had been called off without a ball being bowled in 2007 (against India) and 2010 (against Zimbabwe).
But as the rain-soaked covers stared blankly, it will actually take a monumental effort from curator Zahid Reza Babu, who will be wishing for a rain-free 24 hours ahead of the game, before the Tigers are asked to take the World Cup-esque return to winning ways.
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>The post The one-legged climb appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>The proverbial leg came off when the openers Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes fell very early, both off poor, wide deliveries that ought to be blasted but found safe hands behind the wicket instead. The oxygen tank leaked when Mohammad Ashraful, the one who hasn’t hit an ODI half-century since January last year, gave Darren Sammy a catch at second slip. It had officially broken when Shakib Al Hasan’s head-rush of an innings — three boundaries in his 12 — ended with a terrible waft.
It was threatening to be a “58” like tumble but the recovery was orchestrated by skipper Mushfiqur Rahim and Nasir Hossain. Both hit patient half-centuries, equivalent to the hapless climber finally being patient, hitting his stride and holding on for dear life.But how it became such a difficult climb, especially with no venom in the path, is worth another look.
The idea should have been for the other batsmen to mimic Shakib and not the other way around. Tamim and Imrul might have the excuse of getting out trying to hit bad balls but it still sounds like a poorly thought pretext. Ashraful through his duck has again gone into the borrowed time zone, something he had earned since that Test half-century against Zimbabwe last month.
The skipper Mushfiqur Rahim had already been at the crease for a while and only found Alok Kapali in the mood to stage a recovery as Darren Sammy continued with pace for 24 overs. Though it wasn’t pleasing to the eye, the fifth-wicket pair added 40 before Kapali surrendered to the short ball after being hit once on the chest and found handling anything around his throat quite troubling.
Mushfiqur then had Naeem Islam for company and the two added 57 and was almost turning a lost cause into a decent fight. Naeem’s discomfort at the short ball was once again evident but he fought through to score 30, but like Kapali, the Gaibandha-born all-rounder was dismissed when he was getting used to the opposition’s length.
But the skipper stayed firm and again confirmed how adept he’s to the short ball. Again, it was his common sense that worked as his advantage. The wicketkeeper-batsman hit 43 singles and cruised to his tenth half-century before opening up.
His innings came to life with his pulled six off Kemar Roach but ended with the same shot, another batsman falling to a pull, a shot that is turning into the theme of the series.
Nasir took over from Mushfiqur after they added 35 for the seventh wicket as he gave Abdur Razzak’s big hitting the most room in his 41-run stand with the surprisingly able tail-ender before launching into his half-century. Nasir moved from 26 to 50 in twelve balls, hammering three fours and a six.
On previous occasions, a disastrous start would have amounted to a calamitous end, but with brave climbers you get a heroic story, a script wholeheartedly written by Mushfiqur and Nasir.
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>The post Disaster Avoided, Humiliation Not appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>The Tigers threatened a repeat of their dismal World Cup show in the early stages, losing three wickets for one run, but the home team rode on two half centuries from captain Mushfiqur Rahim and Nasir Hossain to put up a decent total of 220 runs on the board. In the end, however, the total proved insufficient on a good batting track as West Indies clinched the three-match one-day series with a comfortable eight-wicket victory in the second match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur yesterday.
There had been a lot of talk about the inexperienced batting of the new-look Caribbean team prior to the series but in both matches they applied themselves brilliantly to outclass the home side’s ordinary bowling attack. The much talked about Bangladesh slow bowlers hardly made any impact so far, though some deliveries from left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan troubled the West Indies batsmen. It was evident that the Caribbean cricketers had done some good homework before taking them on in the series.
After an easy sail in the first game where the visitors won by 40 runs, Darren Sammy’s boys put in another clinical performance in the day-night affair against the reckless batting and toothless bowling of Mushfiqur Rahim’s men to take the one-day series without any major resistance from their opponents and with one match in hand.
West Indies reached the target in 42.4 overs, losing their two openers who gave a solid foundation, scoring 71 runs in the opening stand to defy the home side. Like the first match West Indies started cautiously but played shots all over the park once they settled down. Interestingly enough, more than fifty percent of the runs came from boundaries as a total of 17 boundaries and eight sixes flew off the bat of the men in maroon caps, thanks largely to Marlon Samuels who continued his good form by smashing twelve fours and one six during his unbeaten 74-ball 88. Fresh from his maiden ODI hundred in the first game, Lendl Simmons scored 80 off 125 balls with three fours and as many sixes before he was trapped in front by the only successful Bangladesh bowler Shakib, who gave the first breakthrough when dismissed Danza Haytt.
Hyatt, who was dropped by Shakib off Rubel Hossain at deep square leg, showed some big hitting prowess, smashing four sixes and two fours in his 46-ball 39 before he was brilliantly caught by Rubel at long-off.
It was however a story of sordid batting from the Tigers. Mushfiqur once again won the toss and this time he decided to bat first as it was estimated that the wicket would become slower as the match wore on.
But the senseless top order batting made it clear that the Tigers were going to have to endure another big defeat. The wickets stumbled so quickly that some fans, who were trying to buy tickets at a hiked price outside the stadium, became confused as to whether there was any point in entering the ground.
Mushfiqur however stayed firm to bring some smiles on their faces with a brilliant recovery act and he had Alok Kapali and Naeem Islam to repair the huge damage after Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Ashraful and Shakib paid the prices for poor shot selections.
Mushfiqur returned to the dressing room making 69 off 109 balls, featuring two fours and a six and after his dismissal it was Nasir Hossain who along with Abdur Razzak helped the team to cross the two hundred mark. Nasir hit his second ODI fifty (50 off 54 balls), giving the innings impetus by smashing 16 runs off the 48 th over bowled by Andre Russell.
In his 100th ODI match, Mushfiqur salvaged some pride by playing a fine captain’s knock, but the outcome of the match definitely left many questions to be answered in the series.
SCORES IN BRIEF
BANGLADESH: 220 all out in 48.5 overs (Mushfiqur 69, Nasir 50, Naeem 30, Razzak 25, Kapali 20; Roach 3-49, Rampaul 2-27, Sammy 2-42)
WEST INDIES: 221 for 2 in 42.4 overs (Samuels 88 not out, Simmons 80, Hyatt 39; Shakib 2-30)
Result: West Indies won by 8 wickets.
Man-of-the-match: Marlon Samuels.
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>The post Mushfiqur blames careless approach appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>Imrul Kayes, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Ashraful and after three boundaries, Shakib Al Hasan all fell in a heap as the Tigers crumpled to 18 for four by the fifth over. The slippery slope was prevented thanks to a fightback staged by Mushfiqur Rahim, Naeem Islam and Nasir Hossain, eventually helping the Tigers to 220 all out in 48.5 overs.
Mushfiqur, who struck 69 off 109 balls, said that instructions to be wary of a collapse is always given to the batsmen but in such a crucial game, the men who matter didn’t deliver in front of another capacity crowd at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
“Everyone knows that they have to be careful after a wicket falls, to stop a collapse. In a Test or ODI, it is quite difficult to come back from this sort of situation. Everyone is told these things but today the ones who played shots, I think some of us played irresponsibly,” said Mushfiqur at the post-game briefing.
“Now it seems that even I don’t have that answer. After winning the toss on this flat wicket, as you must have seen there wasn’t any sideways movement. It wasn’t such a wicket that we could have gone and started hitting. I think if they had taken some time, like Simmons, Samuels who caught up later after starting off slowly. If any of the top-order did something similar, the scenario would have been different.
“It was a do-or-die match for us; we had to be more responsible. We depended on our top-order, but unfortunately, they couldn’t deliver,” he added.
On yet another slow surface, the initial plan, according to the 23-year-old Mushfiqur, was to bat out the first Powerplay and play catch-up from then on, but some bad shots didn’t help the Tigers’ cause.
“There are the two new balls to deal with so the plan was to score 30-35 runs in the first 10 overs. It wouldn’t have mattered if we had played catch-up later on. It didn’t happen unfortunately because the top-order played some bad shots.
“I am disappointed. If we have to win the game, I had said earlier that our batsmen have to contribute 60-70 per cent. If you don’t give the bowlers a good score, it becomes difficult,” he opined, although it was a match worth remembering for the man who now has the highest score for a Bangladeshi in his 100th ODI (beating Habibul Bashar’s 57).
“I had forgotten about it (100th game) at one point. I didn’t want anything extraordinary on this day, but if everyone had played well, it would have been a big achievement for me. I will remember this day, having said that,” said a candid Mushfiqur.
Interestingly, the skipper backpedalled from his comments about the wicket, saying now that the wicket can’t be blamed when the team can’t do their job. “The wicket depends on whether the result is favourable to us. In the three games, there was no fault with the wicket. There’s no point blaming someone if we can’t play well. Our faults will get covered up,” he said.
Though Mushfiqur never let the thoughts of “58 all out” cloud his mind, the opposition camp that had inflicted it just seven months ago wanted to better it.
“We wanted to press on the gas and get them for a lower total. We didn’t know how the wicket will play at the end of the day, but they got a reasonable total. We chased it down very smartly.
“We’d like to do that again. It never happens but our approach was very professional,” said Samuels, who hammered a fine 74-ball 88.
In a jovial mood, Samuels compared Bangladesh to his team, saying, “Bangladesh plays cricket like West Indies. Someday we come out all guns blazing and the next day, we come and play a poor game (laughs). So, we are aware of all the situations.”
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>The post Tigers fight for their lives appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>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
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]]>The post No respect in a loss appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>Thursday was exactly the sort of evening Bangladesh cricket had yearned for years.
Chasing a huge total, the Tigers fell 40 runs short making a respectable 250-plus score against the West Indies in the first ODI. Two batsmen got half-centuries; one sauntered and the other battled his way. The perennial underachiever made the opposition fast bowler look a few notches quicker while the other batsmen merely filled up the scorecard which generally told a run-of-the-mill story.
But Thursday came after a gutsy Twenty20 win on Tuesday, against the same opponents and at the same ground — the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. That victory came on the back of an effective hour and a half in the field followed by some late heroics from the new skipper.
The Tigers these days are evidently prepared, skilled and made to believe of more Tuesdays than Thursdays. The concept of a “respectable loss”, especially at home, is on its way to the museum, one is told.
But statistics tell a different story. In the course of Bangladesh’s ODI history, only thrice have they chased down a target of more than 250 and none of them have come in the last two years and never has it happened at home. At the Mirpur itself, India, Sri Lanka and England have won chasing 250-plus on six occasions out of which Bangladesh were at the receiving end five times.
Mushfiqur Rahim admitted an error in judging the wicket after he decided to bowl first having won the toss, but if a flat wicket is enough to make the Tigers give up that easily, the new men in charge have a lot of work in hand.
None of the fielders showed energy when Marlon Samuels and Lendl Simmons dominated the attack on the unresponsive pitch and they only roused from slumber when Keiron Pollard’s big-hitting was hurting their collective egos.
What also stood out was how rigid the Tigers were when their plans got altered slightly. Imrul Kayes hurt his ankle and had to bat at No 3. Hastily, Naeem Islam had to open but the all-rounder looked anything but ready.
Naeem has opened till his Under-19 days and has established himself as a No 4 for Rajshahi and the various Premier League clubs he’s played for but international cricket gave his ambitions of playing in the top-order a wake-up call. Batting out 82 deliveries for a half-century is not half as bad if the innings flourishes near the end but at no point did he look comfortable against Ravi Rampaul & Co.
With Tamim Iqbal hitting fielders more than the gaps and importantly missing out on strike, it was a disaster waiting to happen. The left-handed opener gave Devender Bishoo a bonus of a wicket, edging a long-hop. For the Chittagonian to flourish like he did in 2009 and 2010, Law must give him the freedom to express himself. Imrul too was effective but has to carry on, something he should aspire to do more often despite the shaky ground he’s standing on.
But the rest just faded away, like they have done so many times in the last decade.
Alok Kapali and Mohammad Ashraful, despite their age and international experience, and Nasir Hossain to some extent, should ask the team’s video analyst to show them Shakib Al Hasan’s innings because most would have missed out despite standing at the other end.
Shakib didn’t let any of the bowlers settle into a rhythm, picked 43 singles at every angle and hit only two boundaries and a six. It was a quintessential Shakib innings and this is the sort of knock that should be set on a pedestal.
More importantly, his effort should be copied unashamedly or one should be ready for more respectable losses, however respectable they are.
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>The post Splendid Simmons keeps Tigers at bay appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>The energy and smartness of Tuesday’s Twenty20 win was missing even after Lendl Simmons and Adrian Barath made a sluggish start. Instead of waiting for a breakthrough, the Tigers’ prematurely pressed for wickets and it resulted in some poor bowling to Simmons, who struck his maiden ODI century, and later against Marlon Samuels (71) and Kieron Pollard (41).
As West Indies ended on 298-4, the Tigers were always facing an uphill battle that ended with them getting 258 for 7 in 50 overs with only Shakib Al Hasan showing purpose, hammering an unbeaten 67 off 58 balls with two boundaries and a six. But by then it was already too late as the start and the uneasy middle overs had failed the chase.
Tamim Iqbal’s crash-and-bang start amounted to little as makeshift opener Naeem Islam (replacing Imrul Kayes who had to pay for staying off the field during the West Indies innings) missed more than he touched. Devender Bishoo’s first delivery, a rank long-hop, found Tamim’s edge as the left-hander fell for 22 off 38 balls.
Naeem and Imrul added 78 with the right-hander securing a half-century after two years. Danza Hyatt ran back 20 meters from mid-off to take a stunning catch to dismiss Naeem 2.5 overs into the batting Powerplay. Mohammad Ashraful gloved a pull-shot to replacement skipper Denesh Ramdin and when Imrul Kayes followed him to the pavilion moments later, the Tigers had slipped to familiar territory 130 for four.
Mushfiqur threa- tened momentarily but his top-edge off Samuels found Darren Bravo at short fine-leg and an early wrap-up was only stopped by Shakib’s resistance.
He added 55 for the fifth wicket with Alok Kapali who scratched around for 20, before the enigma of Bangladesh cricket gave Simmons an easy catch off his top-edge to a Ravi Rampaul short delivery.
If the batsmen didn’t find their feet, the bowlers and fielders had a tougher time earlier in the piece.
Rubel’s three wickets apart, none of the spinners or the other paceman, Shafiul Islam, had an impact. Instead, their unnecessary eagerness had them trapped as wickets were at a premium. The first wicket since Barath walked off hurt in the 15th over came in the 42nd when Rubel ended the big Simmons-Samuels stand.
Simmons played the perfect anchor role earlier as he didn’t let a hesitant start bother him. Having struck the game’s first boundary after 35 balls, he added 67 with Barath who then pulled up with a hamstring injury and had to walk off as the new ODI rules do not allow runners.
It was even more trouble for the Tigers as Samuels launched into the bowlers, giving Simmons much needed confidence. The duo added 150 for what was effectively the first wicket with the underachieving Simmons reaching his first ODI ton. He ended up with 122 off 124 balls with the help of two sixes and eight boundaries. Samuels struck six fours and two sixes in his 78-ball 71 before Pollard launched into the Tigers, helping the West Indies to 109 runs from the final 10 overs.
Pollard struck three splendid sixes through midwicket and long-on — in 25 balls that brought the party atmosphere of IPL to Mirpur, but it was never enjoyed by the capacity crowd who would rather have preferred another victory for the home side.
SCORES IN BRIEF
WEST INDIES: 298 for 4 (Simmons 122, Barath 21, Samuels 71, Bravo 20, Pollard 41; Rubel 3-65)
BANGLADESH: 258 for 7 (Tamim 21, Naeem 52, Imrul 42, Shakib 67 not out, Mushfiqur 21, Kapali 20; Rampaul 2-35, Russel 2-44, Samuels 2-42)
Result: West Indies won by 40 runs.
Man-of-the-match: Lendl Simmons.
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>The post Wicket’s faulty: Mushfiq appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>On a batting track, the home side’s bowling attack that included the slow bowlers, the main weapon of the Tigers in these conditions, was pretty ordinary. The fielding was sluggish too which helped the visitors take the game away from Mushfiqur Rahim’s men as they amassed 298 runs for four wickets after being sent into bat.
In response to the mammoth target, the Tigers’ batting lacked intent and only the immediate-past captain Shakib Al Hasan showed some character and came up with the only smart effort in the entire match during his unbeaten 58-ball 67.
Captain Mushfiqur however virtually put aside all the shortcomings in the match, expressing his disappointment over the unfavourable pitch.
“Our main strength is our slow bowlers, especially in our home conditions, but unfortunately the pitch was not like the T20 match. The spinners didn’t get any turn on it. It was a batting paradise. Our spinners always get extra advantage here but it was not the case today,” he said in the post-match briefing.
This kind of conditions desperately called for a disciplined bowling effort but the local bowlers lacked the sting and they also failed to bowl in the right channel and their fielding was also disappointing.
“We made a lot of mistakes in our fielding too but you know it was very hot out there. Our spinners didn’t get any assistance from the wicket. On the other hand as per our expectation we also didn’t get any early breakthrough from the pacers which made the things difficult for us and our slow bowlers also got frustrated as they didn’t get any help from it,” he added.
The young Bangladesh skipper however praised the West Indies batting. Lendl Simmons, who led the Caribbean innings with his maiden hundred, along with Adrian Barath made a slow but steady start to give their team a solid foundation. They took time to adjust with the condition which helped them to put up a challenging total on the board. Simmons slammed a 124-ball 122 while Marlon Samuels continued his good form with yet another well-paced half-century (71 off 78 balls) and the dashing Kieron Pollard hit a quickfire 25-ball 41 that saw three sixes and two fours.
“In this kind of wicket it was easy for the West Indies batsmen to score runs but I must praise their good effort. They really batted well in this condition and their bowling was also good,” Mushfiqur praised the West Indies batting.
The wicketkeeper-batsman also defended his decision of fielding first after winning the toss.
“You know naturally this wicket initially remains dry and in the latter part of the innings the dew becomes a factor. That’s why we took the decision of fielding first but unfortunately the ball was coming on to the bat very well,” he explained.
There was hardly anyone who believed that Bangladesh could chase down this big total but Mushfiqur said that it might have been possible if someone from the top-order could convert their innings into a big one.
“It was a very good batting wicket but we could not apply ourselves properly. If someone like Imrul [Kayes] or Naeem [Islam] from the top-order could carry their innings to the end, it might been possible for us to chase down the total,” said Mushfiqur.
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>The post Smartness in all facets appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>With his side needing four runs from two balls, Mushfiqur Rahim was presented with a shorter length ball from Ravi Rampaul. He swung from the hips, a sort of swat-pull that landed over their dressing-room and bounced into the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium Grandstand. In a similar situation two months ago in dark, cold Harare, Mushfiqur bungled up when he skied a pitched up Chris Mpofu delivery with the Tigers needing six to win from five balls in the crunch third ODI.
On that occasion, the choice of shot was a slog. His attempted hit down the ground went as far as long-on where Vusi Sibanda took a calm catch amid all the tension. This time, the new captain decided to go by his coach Stuart Law’s words. He went for the smart choice, though it was more commonsensical than clever to hammer such a poor delivery into the baying crowd at mid-wicket.
Before Mushfiqur’s heroics however, the Tigers’ collapse from 1-49 to 4-54 wasn’t exactly smart. Imrul Kayes’s sweep didn’t go long enough, Shakib Al Hasan missed a straight ball and what Alok Kapali tried to do was beyond most spectators’ imagination.
Mohammad Ashraful departed for 25 three overs later, making Mushfiqur the lone man capable of pulling off the win. With Naeem Islam, he added 22 before the all-rounder’s risky move away from the stumps was stunted by Darren Sammy. Nasir Hossain, who notoriously fell in those tantalising moments in Harare, gave Mushfiqur comfort through some sensible batting.
The debutant’s 18 off 15 balls had a single boundary and that too came when the required run-rate needed a boost, a mark of his street-smartness that has been his specialty in domestic cricket.
Nasir’s dismissal off the third ball of the last over had the potential of rocking the boat but Mushfiqur’s calm head was the Tigers’ biggest asset at that point.
A good decision, even under extreme pressure, is the mark of a cool character, one who doesn’t flinch in front of the blowtorch and melt under the public’s expectations. That is what Law has asked his new charges, the need to play smart cricket which amounts to taking the right path to perform a task on the field. Given that the former Australian cricketer was just a week into his new job when he landed with the Tigers in Zimbabwe, the West Indies series is billed as his first real test as Bangladesh coach.
Yesterday’s Twenty20 was littered with many potential landmines which could have deprived the Tigers of much-needed momentum ahead of the ODI series that starts tomorrow.
Instead, Shafiul Islam and Abdur Razzak confidently kept the West Indies openers Lendl Simmons and Adrian Barath in check, supporting Shakib Al Hasan’s excellent four overs where the erstwhile national captain bowled probably two bad balls.
Shafiul bowled the final over of the innings that went for just four runs. It stood out for the mixing of his lengths, something that he used to get the runaway Marlon Samuels out, scuttling him with a wide slower delivery.
The Tigers’ fielding too stood out, especially Tamim Iqbal’s effort down the ground during the last few overs while for once, none of the catches went down. The importance of safe hands was reflected by the visitors’ low score.
The calmness while bowling and fielding wasn’t exactly mirrored with the bat but Mushfiqur led by example, vindicating his coach and helping himself to a captaincy debut to remember.
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>Yesterday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Bangladesh needed 6 to win off the last over with Mushfiq on strike and four wickets in hand. The equation soon turned to 5 required off three deliveries with Nasir Hossain perishing off the third ball. Abdur Razzak came in and handed the strike to Mushfiq with four needed off two. The six he hit to seal the deal could hardly have tasted any sweeter.
But the man himself was the picture of calmness at the post-match press conference, graciously accepting the congratulations but all underpinned by a steel that revealed his character.
“I believed that if Nasir and I stay till the last over, even if we needed 10 or 15 runs, we would win,” said the new Bangladesh captain. “Also, we got some runs in the second-last over which was a bonus for us. In the last over, though Nasir got out, I had the confidence that if I got the ball in my zone then I could hit it for a four or six. Fortunately, that is what happened.”
When asked how he was feeling about his auspicious debut as captain, Mushfiq beamed and said, “Obviously I am delighted. Everyone wants the first match to be memorable, and I couldn’t have asked for more. We won the toss and it was the plan to bowl first because the due might be a factor, and our bowling is spin-reliant. We saved 10-12 runs on the field and there was a concerted effort to restrict them as much as possible.
“Our top order got us off to a good start, and in the middle West Indies bowled well and our batting collapsed a bit, but the lower-middle order made a valuable contribution in the form of Nasir and Naeem (Islam). Overall it was a great team effort.”
Mushfiqur also gave the bowlers the lion’s share of the credit, saying that 132 on this pitch was not a difficult total.
“I think we bowled fantastically well to restrict West Indies to 132. It was not a difficult total, but you know in T20 you can’t always be consistent as a batsman because you have to play so many shots.”
Inevitably, the question about the Harare heartbreak came up, but Mushfiqur said that the two situations were different.
“In Harare going into the last over we only had one wicket left, and I knew that even if I took a single at that point we would have lost the match; in other words it was all on me. Here, since we had three wickets left, I knew that even if I mishit the shot and we ran one or two there would still be a chance to win.
Another thing was that I was targeting the smaller side of the ground, and I was confident that even a mishit could travel for six.”
He impressed on the field as well, sticking by Rubel Hossain even after the fast bowler had been taken for 17 runs in one over during the Powerplay. “He got hit for two sixes, but one of them was a mishit, and these things can happen in Powerplays. But what I liked was he responded well to the responsibility placed on him and he came back well. He has been bowling really well, so I knew he could do the job.”
Despite the hammering in the one over, Rubel finished with a respectable 1-32 in his four overs, vindicating his captain’s faith.
Looking ahead to the one-dayers starting Thursday, the new skipper said that it would be a challenge that he is looking forward to.
“I think if you look at the two teams, West Indies were favourites to win this match, but it all comes down to who plays better on the day, and today we played well in all three departments, and we look forward to doing that in the one-dayers as well.”
On vice-captain Mahmud-ullah Riyad’s situation, Mushfiq felt that he had gone for some blood tests and hoped that he recovers from the viral fever within two or three days.
West Indies skipper Darren Sammy echoed his counterpart’s sentiments saying, “We knew it was going to be an interesting series. They held their nerves better than we did. We never took them for granted.”
He laid the blame for the loss on not scoring enough runs.
“We could have scored more runs, and we could have stopped more balls in the field. But in the end we made more mistakes than they did, that is why we lost.”
With the team not scoring enough runs, the inevitable question of missing big-hitting opener Chris Gayle came up. Sammy, however, insisted that it was not a problem.
“We have been playing without Chris Gayle since the World Cup, so we are used to it now. A lot of other guys have got the opportunity, so it’s no excuse.”
-With The Daily Star input
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