Friday, 19 June 2015

A dose of pace

Eyes were blinked, heads were scratched and a sense of confusion seemed to spread across the Mirpur press box as soon as Bangladesh's team for the first ODI against India was announced yesterday.
Out of the blue, the Tigers had decided to field four specialist pacers, a decision which came as a surprise due to a number of reasons. For one, the bowler who was replaced -- Arafat Sunny -- did little wrong in the last few matches. He was, in fact, the highest wicket-taker in the Pakistan series.
Secondly, the pacer who came in place of him, Mustafizur Rahman, had played just one T20I prior to the match yesterday.
Now this wasn't the first time that Bangladesh had employed four specialist pacers in their side, but it has been a while since the home crowd got to witness such a combination.
The last time Bangladesh's pacers bowled more than 35 overs in an ODI at home was back on December 26, 2004 with Khaled Mahmud, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Tapash Baisya and Nazmul Hossain forming Bangladesh's attack against India. Incidentally, Bangladesh went on to win that game at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
There was always a chance to use the left-handed Mustafizur as a surprise element in this series, however to go with him in the very first match -- instead of a more sedate and safe segment of the competition -- was a move that not many had expected.
But then again, expecting the unexpected has seemed to be the motto of the Chandika Hathurusingha-led team management, ever since the Sri Lankan took over in June last year.
The last year has witnessed the team management employ a number of moves that one can't generally associate with the men in green. They have been more aggressive, and the urge to win seems to have doubled.
Right from smothering the Indians with pace and bounce in June last year -- in an attempt to play to their weakness -- to stepping out of the mentality of filling the eleven with slow left-armers, there's been this conscious effort to change the look of the team.
In fact, the changed mindset was witnessed in the lone Test against India as well. Bangladesh's team management decided to field just one pacer and four spinners -- a move that came under heavy scrutiny.
However, from the way Ravi Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh turned the ball in the latter days of that Test in Fatullah, one could say that the objective there too was to go on an all-out attack against the visitors; to go with the only tactic that could give them a possible win.
Yesterday was no different. The only reason why Mustafizur was brought in was because the management wanted to hurt India at their most vulnerable point of the series -- right at the beginning.
They decided to bring in a bowler that India had never seen before; they wanted to make the visiting batsmen pay for all those extra hours they put in against slow left-armers in the nets.
'Guess what? We just have one slow left-armer in the side. Now here's a dose of our pacers' was the message.
There's no doubt that a certain amount of risk remains in these tactics. But in circumstances like these, it's not the result that matters, but the thinking; the ideas behind the moves; an aspect that has provided Bangladesh's fans with some much-needed fresh air in the last one year. 

DU staff, 3 others held for ‘supplying explosives’ to militants

Star Online Report
Detectives detained one Dhaka University staff and three others for allegedly supplying explosives to militants.
They were identified as Gazi Mohammad Babul, Dhaka University’s soil, water and environment department laboratory assistant, Asia Scientific shop owner Ripon Mollah, Western Scientific Company Manager Mohiuddin and FM Chemical and Sons owner Md Nasir Uddin.
They were detained based on information obtained from members of banned militant outfits Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (Huji) and Ansarullah Bangla Team, Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said in a press briefing at police’s media centre.
“They were supplying the explosives and chemical materials to the militants,” he said. Legal action will be taken against the detainees after interrogation.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has faith in fast bowlers


Shaquib Tayeem Ahmed
Bangladesh ODI team’s captain Mashrafe Mortaza has full confidence in his fast bowlers to compete at the highest level of cricket especially in 50-over matches.
Bangladesh soundly trounced India by 79 runs in the first game of the 3-match ODI series at Mirpur stadium on June 18, 2015.
India couldn't last the 50 overs and slumped to their worst loss to Bangladesh in terms of runs across all ODIs.
Mashrafe attributed the success to his debutant left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman and his fast-bowling colleagues, easily out-performing their Indian counterparts during the first match.
"I always preferred three pacers since I became captain. I firmly believe that bowlers win matches. The kind of bowling that Mustafizur does… I was really confident about the decision.
Fortune favours the brave and so I am really happy," said Mashrafe, adding that it was not an easy decision to leave out in-form left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny.
Mustafizur Rahman sent back Raina and Ashwin in consecutive balls during the first game of the 3-match ODI series against India at Mirpur. Photo: STAR
Indian ODI captain MS Dhoni recognized the damage done by Bangladeshi fast bowlers, highlighting their ability to extract greater lift from a sluggish pitch and canny use of variation.
"I think the variations that they used were pretty impressive," Dhoni said. "They didn't bowl 140 kph and a slower one of 115 kph. They mixed up the pace well and also they had more bowlers who got more bounce compared to our fast bowlers.
"Bounce, at times on slow wicket, is a harder thing to negotiate because it climbs onto you and still you don't have enough pace to work around,” Dhoni said during the post-match briefing.
“I felt they used the variations well. And still they knew what was the exact length that was needed to bowl and I felt that was the difference between the fast bowling units." he added.
Bangladesh captain had Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain and himself as the four-fast men during the first game against India of the 3-match series.
Rubel Hossain was the most expensive in his spell of six overs for 36 runs. Mashrafe got some punishment in the end and finished with a wicket in his 10 overs giving away 53 runs.
Debutant Mustafizur Rahman destroyed the Indian batting line-up with five wickets for 50 runs in 9.2 overs. Taskin Ahmed was most frugal, gave away only 21 runs in six overs with two wickets in his bag.
Taskin Ahmed of Bangladesh is delighted after picking up a wicket during the first game of the 3-match ODI series against India at Mirpur. Photo: STAR
On the contrary, Indian fast bowlers went for too many runs for their liking as they failed to adapt to the conditions at Mirpur stadium.
Mohit Sharma bowled 4.4 overs, was smashed for 53 runs but picked up a consolatory wicket. Umesh Yadav went for 7.25 runs in his eight overs. B Kumar gave away 5.28 runs in his seven overs.
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe was naturally feeling a high while talking with media, after all his pre-match prediction of decimating opposing batsmen with fast bowlers came true to his delight.
Hope his pace attack can carry on their superb form into the next match against India on Sunday, June 21 and bring smiles to faces of millions of Bangladesh cricket fans home and abroad.

AD BANNAR