The emphatic six-wicket victory by Bangladesh over a full-strength Indian side left no doubt about what everyone's favourite topic of conversation is at the moment: the sensational Mustafizur Rahman and his deadly off-cutters.
Wonder-boy Mustafizur
The selectors seem to have struck gold with Mustafizur, whose five-for and six-for in the first two matches have left the nation amazed and the visitors bewildered. The 19-year old from Satkhira is now the proud record holder of the most wickets in the first two matches of an ODI career, overtaking Zimbabwean Brian Vitori's previous record of 10 scalps. But one must not forget that Bangladesh has also previously had bowlers who had achieved dream debuts – bowlers whose names have gradually faded along with their forms. One must also remember that many youngsters who wowed the crowd on their debut have not all reached their full potential before their careers went downhill. It is every fan's hope that the authorities ensure that Mustafizur does not get lost in history the way many of his predecessors did.
Liton takes up Mushfiq's golves
Meanwhile, the question which has almost completely been overshadowed by Mustafizur's brilliance, however, is why Mushfiqur Rahim, the team's stable wicketkeeper for more than a decade, had to hand his gloves over to young Liton Kumar Das.
The finger injury which prevented him from staying behind the stumps in the Test could not have been an issue since it did not stop him in the first ODI. It is no secret that Mushfiq had been adamant on retaining his role as the wicketkeeper even throughout his injury, and also throughout the time that the media had been criticising his job. What then, could have led to this decision? Most would point a finger to the two catches he put down in the first match. The question remains as to whether or not that is a good enough reason, especially after he more than made up for it with five catches afterwards, one of which involved a sideways dive to take a spectacular one-handed catch.
Nasir's dual role
Nasir Hossain stole most of the spotlight too. Those who have been following Nasir's career from the start would recall his half century on debut against Zimbabwe, how he switched from spin to pace in the middle of his career, and finally the rough patch which almost saw him excluded from the World Cup squad. It is therefore a pleasure to see him making a comeback as a reliable all-rounder for the team, rather than just the "finisher" he was labeled as before. It is with pride that fans have seen him evolve from the new kid on the side to someone who the captain can count on to not only provide stability to the batting line-up but also to break crucial partnerships when the need arises.
Attack based on pure pace
Finally, the most surprising aspect of the series so far has been the fact that Bangladesh, in a historic decision, entered the field without a single specialist spinner on the side. It was a move that would have been unthinkable even a few months ago, when the Tigers were known to be dependent on their spin department. Needless to say, the likes of Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and of course Mashrafe bin Mortaza have turned that around memorably, making bowling coach Heath Streak's dreams come true.
The fact remains, however, that none of these players were there to turn to during the Test match, putting a huge amount of pressure on newcomer Mohammed Shahid, leading to quite an unsatisfactory performance by the Tigers in that arena. This is something that should be dealt with before the hosts' next assignment.
All in all, the series has seen Bangladesh move up to No 7 in the rankings table, after toiling in the ninth position for most of the last 15 years, qualify for the 2017 Champions Trophy in England and win their 10th consecutive ODI at home.
Even though a lot people are looking forward to another 'Banglawash', the Tigers have already proven exactly how far they've come over the years. All in all, it truly is an amazing time to be a cricket fanatic in the country.
