DHAKA: When ICC fourth ranked test team England came for two-match test series and three-match ODI series tour to 9th ranked Bangladesh no one in wildest of thought could imagine Bangladesh will make favorites sweat and toil. Moreover Bangladesh did not get opportunity of playing even a single test match for 14 months. Very strong England played 15 tests over the same period of time against stronger oppositions. Even very expensive Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha was not optimistic that his charge can take 20 English wickets. With world class cricket icon Courtney Walsh mentoring the Bangladesh bowling unit perhaps Hathuru could be more careful. Bengal tigers have already made him eat his words.

Brave team tigers seeing eye to eye with English Lions as the absorbing Chittagong test enters nail-biting last day. Bangladesh stand 33 runs away from a historic win whereas England need two wickets. Win or loss is the part of a two horse race. Bangladesh Cricket team is well on course of writing the script anew.

In their cricket history, Bangladesh have won tests against Zimbabwe and weakened West Indies only. It went very close to winning test against Pakistan in Multan and created opportunities for a win in Fatullah of Narayanganj against mighty Australia. If debutant Sabbir Rahman can inspire win this morning this will be the first test win against a top ranked ICC team. Win or loss will matter little. The way Bangladesh has played the test so far has already earned full praise of the world cricket community.

Winning the toss and electing to bat strong English team surviving early set backs managed reaching 293 in the first innings. Debutant teenager Mehedi Hasan Miraj with his accurate off-spin wrecked the English batting backbone taking 6/80. The teenager bowled 39.5 overs in his very first appearance in white dress for his country. Bangladesh replied with 248. A little bit of planning and keeping the focus could assist Bangladesh in earning lead. Tamim, Mushfique, Mahmudullah and Shakib got in and got out. Especially the rush of blood of Shakib on third day morning cost dearly. His dancing down the wicket in gay cavalier style against Moeen Ali on the very second ball of the day cost dear. Bangladesh collapsed from an assured position of 221/5 to 248 all out. A golden opportunity for earning a handy lead was not grabbed with both hands.
 

However, Shakib atoned his lapse of concentration with brilliant bowling. His 5/85 restricted England second innings to 240. It could have been worse if Bairstow and Ben Stokes did not stitch together a very crucial 127-run sixth wicket partnership. Bangladesh was set a target of 286 for a historic win. The absence of a genuine experienced pace bowler capable of extracting reverse swing was missing.

Wicket assisted spin right from the outset. Bangladeshi spinners exploited the condition better. But England with much better pace attack had the edge. Bangladesh chased the improbable target with courage and determination. The wicket appeared tricky; ball kept swinging, turning and bouncing. Some Bangladeshi batsmen Tamim, Mahmudullah and Kayes appeared in a hurry. At 140/5 Bangladesh had its back to the wall. Tamim, Kayes, Mominul, Mahmudullah and Shakib were back in the camp. Mushfique and Sabbir applying them admirably carried the team on their broad shoulders.

When the team appeared cruising, a great delivery of veteran Gareth Batty did the damage. Exit of Mushfique triggered a mini collapse. Debutants Mehedi Hasan and Kamrul Islam came and went. Team management possibly wanted to hide Taijul and Shafiul. Anyway, Sabbir is still there playing with an wonderful unbeaten innings of 59. Taijul and Shaiful are not traditional ten and jack. Both can bat, both can defend doggedly. If they can hang on with Sabbir, 33 runs required for a historic win is not out of site.

But the fifth-day wicket will offer turn and bounce to the spinners. New ball will also be due after two overs of the start of day’s proceedings. All rests on Sabbir farming strikes and keeping himself cool. Bangladesh winning will give a strong message to the cricket world. FTP must give equal opportunities to all full members of ICC. Even if Bangladesh go down fighting team tigers has already done enough in the very absorbing contest.

One striking feature is the lack of interest of Chittagong crowd. Why not BCB let school children come free watching the match?

Sabbir has the opportunity to walk into history carrying his team across to sky scrapping achievement. He must remember that heroes are for forever.

BDST: 0908 HRS, OCT 24, 2016
SR