The morning yesterday was something the Bangladesh cricketers had never witnessed before. Almost all the members had gone to bed late Sunday night only to wake up with a feeling of making the impossible, possible.
Bangladesh won their first bilateral one-day international series against India with a match to spare. They had won the series by dominating the number-two-ranked ODI side in the world to make it their 10th straight win at home.
So the hangover from one of the most famous victories in their cricket history was not going to leave them that easily.
Most players who are settled in Dhaka had left for their residences right from Sher-e-Bangla stadium following the emphatic win. The few who did not, including wonder boy Mustafizur Rahman, Nasir Hossain and Sabbir Rahman, were left to absorb all the attention in the team hotel both from media and the fans.
Nineteen-year-old Mustafizur, who is the centre of all the buzz for his record 11 wickets in just two ODIs, was seen strolling in the hotel lobby. He was posing for selfies with some photojournalists who managed to sneak in.
However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s restrictions on media activity had kept him from making an appearance in the true sense.
Bangladesh had never fully relied on their pace attack until the ongoing ODI series against India. Even in the lone test match of the series earlier this month, the Tigers were shy of relying on their pacers which had resulted in playing with just one pacer.
However, in the ODIs, the side took all by surprise which included their opponents India when they came to play with four pacers in the eleven. The decision was a challenge taken by skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza who always believed that bowlers win matches. And looking into the two scorecards, one can say what Mashrafe believes is right.
However, more than for his strategies, what veteran Mashrafe is fetching appreciation for is his leadership quality. The 31-year-old has established himself as a fighter with an indomitable spirit given that he is still marching strong despite more than six surgeries on his leg. Many believe Mashrafe along with the coaching staff is injecting into the cricketers an aggressive IV of cricket which is resulting into confidence and fearless approach in all departments.
Middle order batsman Nasir Hossain is an example of that. The right-hander hardly got a platform to display with the willow in the first two ODIs. When he had gone to bat in the first ODI, Bangladesh were in the slog overs which did not allow him to settle down, rather get some quick runs on the board. And in the second match, he did not need to go out to bat at all.
“You see I am currently in a position where I need to prove myself given I have been on and off the team recently. The top orders are doing great at the moment making my role with the bat slim,” said Nasir yesterday.
“But before the match yesterday [Sunday], Mashrafe Bhai told me that I would need to bowl 10 overs. Bowling 10 overs is never my role being an occasional bowler but since I was asked to bowl the full quota, it gave me confidence and a floor to prove myself if not with the bat,” he added.
Nasir went onto bowl 10 overs, only the second time in his career, and picked up the vital wickets of Shikar Dhawan and Virat Kohli conceding just 33 runs.
“Fortune favours the brave” is Mashrafe’s simple explanation for taking challenges face on and executing them to near perfection.
Given all the parameters are in favour of Mashrafe and his team, the national will not be asking too much if they expect the Tigers to hammer the last nail in the Indian coffin by winning the third and final tie of the series and whitewash them for the first time to add a new lead to the history.
