For a Test team number four is always a crucial position in batting order but it seems that Bangladesh is yet to settle someone at the fundamental position for quite some time.
Bangladesh batsman Mahmudullah, who was dropped from the squad before the series and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim had some great track records batting at number four, their batting average in the spot were 32.45 and 40.33 respectively, more than their career average.
But left-handed batsman Mominul Haque performed better in the position, scoring 908 in 18 innings at 60.53, the highest among all the Bangladeshis at number.
The 25-year old scored at a remarkable average of 96.33 with three hundreds in nine innings at home soil in the same position.
But the management sent four different players, Sabbir Rahman, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque and Nasir Hossian in the vital position in the just concluded two-match Test series against Australia, which exposed their problem with the position.
Sabbir made a golden duck in the first innings of Dhaka Test while Imrul could score only two runs to leave Bangladesh tottering in the second innings.
Mominul was called back in the squad for the second match and he managed to score 31 runs in the first innings while Nasir failed to use the opportunity in the second innings scoring only five runs.
Bangladesh Test skipper Mushfiq provided a reason after the end of the match why Nasir was given opportunity to bat at number four but these might not be applicable for previous other matches played earlier.
‘We were thinking to make some trouble for them [Australia] by sending a right-handed batsman [Nasir Hossain] in the middle at number four,’ said Mushfiq in the post-match press conference in Chittagong.
‘We wanted to make a combination of right-handed and left-handed batsmen in the second innings keeping all these in our minds,’ the wicket-keeper batsman added.
The Test skipper claimed that Bangladesh team was still lacking of a specialist number four batsman ignoring the fact of Mominul, who had a tremendous career record in the position.
‘If you carefully observe that we were still lacking of a specialist number four batsman in last few Test matches.
‘Sabbir played some matches in that position. Whatever we expected from him in that position, he could not deliver same. Sabbir played well at number seven in the last innings. We were thinking that he should play in the same position as he did well there.
‘Sakib knows that he always plays at number five. Mominul has played at number three quite a few times but we still have three openers at the top-order. So it is always become very difficult to change the position because of that reason,’ Mushfiq added.
Although Mushfiq admitted the problem, he was confident of resolving this kind of issues ahead of next series in South Africa.
‘Some may have thought that Mominul could not play off-spinners. But he showed everyone that he can handle one of the best off-spinners in the world. We will think in future to make a best combination with the outcomes of the Test match,’ he said.
-With New Age input
