Bangladesh stepped into the three-match one-day international series with a lot to prove as a unit. They had beaten Pakistan 3-0 and Zimbabwe 5-0, but the winning run was said to come against a lower-ranked Zimbabwe and a transitional Pakistan side. However, the Tigers trounced heavyweights India by 79 runs a couple of days ago to end all confusion. Bangladesh proved that the winning streak is no fluke as they are the team to watch out for in Asia at the moment.
Apart from the players, Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who took charge exactly a year ago when an under-strength India toured Bangladesh, deserves majority of the credit behind the huge transformation. The former Sri Lankan literally started from scrap and turned myths into realities.
Who would have thought Bangladesh, a spin-dependent nation, would play four genuine fast bowlers in a game? The planning has been exceptional while the freedom given to the players is paying rich dividends now.
“The best example is that India is sending their strongest team. It speaks for itself, how far we have come from that series (against India in June 2014). It is always good to gauge your success or what you are doing, by how your peers are looking at you. I think it is a big rap for our boys that India came with their full strength. Our confidence is high, the way we are playing is a bit different and good for us that it is getting us results,” said Chandika during a press conference at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday.
“I have been here for one year now. You will probably guess some of the things that we do. We always try to do best for our team. We might come up with a different plan after these six one-dayers,” he added. “We are happy to see the young fast bowlers coming through. During the World Cup, we managed to keep three bowlers on the park. A lot of credit goes to the strength and conditioning coach, bowling coaches and physios to keep them on the park and developing these young fast bowlers through our Academy system. I think we are in good hands.”
The coach, however, is not content with their performance as he believes they have more room for improvement. “I am not happy at all with the last game. That’s the scary part: we still can improve in all departments. We played better against Pakistan. I think we are looking to improve from the next game.
“At this stage, we are 1-0 up. We are looking for tomorrow’s (today’s) game. We are not favourites, but we are confident,” he said.
Earlier, Bangladesh were dependent on particular players to win a match but that is past now. Three below-par games for Mushfiqur Rahim does not create panic nor does the team get dismantled after losing quick wickets. Chandika believes high-flying Mustafizur Rahman will be challenged as he expects the Indians to come hard in the game today.
Chandika also shed light on Mashrafe bin Mortaza’s character and said, “He played a very important role. He is the person who everyone looks up to. He commands respect in the dressing room. And also, leads from the front on the field as well. He played a huge part in transforming the way we have been playing.”
When asked if the Bangladesh-India rivalry can turn out to be the greatest in Asia, Chandika, who served Sri Lanka in 26 Tests and 35 ODIs, expressed: “It is very hard to compare eras of teams. That time Sri Lanka were a very experienced side before the 1996 World Cup, I think that was the time when it all began. This (Bangladesh) is a very young team and they have got a very long way to go. But there are some world-class players in this team who are making the difference.”