Bangladesh’s one-run defeat to hosts India in the Super 10 round of the 2016 World Twenty20 in Bangalore last Wednesday has rocked the cricket-crazy nation. It was not the defeat that has taken the country by surprise but rather the way the Tigers gifted the game to the home side and ensured their way out of the flagship event. It is hard to believe that a side with two set batsmen in the middle, and one waiting in the dugout, can fail to chase two runs in three balls.
All the fingers are now being pointed at the direction of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah. It was Mushfiq who first went for the glory shot only to be caught at mid-wicket; Bangladesh reeling on 145 for seven in 19.4 overs. The game was still very much in the balance, thanks to the presence of the in-form Mahmudullah on strike. But he too was dismissed in a similar fashion like Mushfiq; the Tigers left to chase two runs from the final delivery.
All-rounder Shuvagata Hom was on strike and all he needed to do was connect the ball and attempt a single to at least level the scores. But the right-hander, who came in as the replacement of suspended fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, failed to predict the trajectory of a juicy short ball.
The three batsmen are now the culprits, according to the cricket-mad fans; let it be on social media or in a tea-table conversation.
For Mahmudullah, this was the second occasion he had failed to take Bangladesh to the destination after the two-run defeat against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup final. But given his recent performances, many will overlook what he has done.
As far as Shuvagata is concerned, he was never a dependable batsman to start with.
It is Mushfiq therefore, who is really feeling the heat. In recent times, the wicketkeeper-batsman has been struggling for runs and all hell broke loose following his departure against India. In his last eight T20Is, the diminutive right-hander has accumulated only 84 runs and despite being one of the best Tigers batsman, him not being able to score was hurting the team. The team had fully supported him during the lean patch but one wonders what he might be facing right now in the dressing room.
Right after the game, the frustration displayed by all-rounder Shakib al Hasan at M Chinnaswamy Stadium was visible for all to see. Shakib was furious, shouting in front of the dressing room as if he was putting blame on individuals. Opening batsman Tamim Iqbal walked towards Shakib to cool him down only to incur the wrath of the Bangladesh limited-over vice captain.
In the official press conference after the game, captain Mashrafe bin Mortaza had refrained from blaming any individual for the chastening defeat. The veteran cricketer however, over and over again mentioned that his side had lost the game in the last three balls.
Mashrafe said the batsmen (indicating Mushfiq and Mahmudullah) failed to hold on to their nerves. “The chase could have been more relaxing if we had gone for singles. All the [Indian] fielders were at the boundary. A single would have meant we needed only a run in two deliveries. I believe these things should have had come into our minds. But we failed,” Mashrafe explained.
There is no hesitation that Mushfiq, the highest-ranked Bangladesh batsman in one-day internationals, has presented Bangladesh many historic wins and great knocks to cherish. However, the recent and distant past seems all too blur now.
Mushfiq, the Bangladesh Test captain, realised the blunder and apologised to the nation through his official Facebook account yesterday morning.
The middle-order batsman quoted, “I know that the defeat [last Wednesday] has hurt all of you but to be honest, all the players in the team play their heart out when in the middle. So the defeat was disheartening for us too.
“I should not have got myself dismissed at that crucial point of the game. The team might have lost because of me for which I am sorry to the nation. I hope to take a lesson from this and in future bring back smiles on your faces.”
