The conclusion of the South Africa series brought the curtains down on what has been the Tigers’ longest cricket season at home. Usually, cricket is avoided during the months of June, July, August and September due to the heavy monsoon showers. However, the extended 2014-15 season was a rare exception as Bangladesh entertained India and South Africa in June and July despite heavy showers.
Persistent rainfall might have wrecked havoc in three Test matches – the lone five-dayer against India and two against the South Africans – but the Tigers will not mind as they bagged the ODI series against both the cricketing powerhouses.
Given the series of recent successes and consistent team performances, there is no doubt that the Tigers enjoyed their best season in history. Since last August, Bangladesh have played 20 Tests, 23 ODIs and four Twenty20 internationals and their most notable improvement came in 50-over cricket.
Among the 23 ODIs, the Tigers won 15 matches and lost eight. During their memorable journey and under the stewardship of a lion-hearted head coach in Chandika Hathurusingha, the Tigers exhibited an aggressive brand of cricket. The strategy worked wonders as it enabled them to cope with alien conditions and qualify for the quarter-final of a World Cup for the very first time.
The best however, was yet to come.
Last April, the Tigers thrashed Pakistan on their way to the historic Banglawash. They followed it up by bulldozing both India
and South Africa to record four ODI series wins in a row.
The unearthing of two gems
Bangladesh witnessed drastic changes in the dressing room following the tour of the West Indies last August. Both the cricketers and the team management were under fire for the below-par performances against the Windies. Something had to change.
The Tigers had to prove themselves all over again and in their pursuit of some improved displays, the national selection panel introduced a few raw talents. Top-order batsman Soumya Sarkar and paceman Mustafizur Rahman are the two noticeable players that Bangladesh picked when the chips were down.
Soumya’s fearless attitude towards the opposition attack not only helped his side a great deal but also rubbed off well on his partner, swashbuckling opener Tamim Iqbal. Soumya wasted very little time in establishing his authority. The Satkhira lad featured in 16 ODIs, smashing a century and four half-centuries, and his heroics earned him the faith of the national selectors.
New sensation Mustafiz on the other hand had plenty of reasons to be cheerful. The 19-year old made his international bow against Pakistan but it was his display in the India ODIs that really attracted all the headlines. His lethal off-cutters puzzled even the best batsmen of world cricket as he created one history after another. Also from Satkhira, Mustafiz’s potential impressed the selectors as he ended up making his Test debut against South Africa. The left-armer broke the Proteas’ spine in the Chittagong Test en route to a four-wicket haul.
Best ODI moment
Bangladesh’s 2-1 win over India was perhaps the highlight of the year, as far as 50-over cricket is concerned. There was a bit of animosity between the two sides following their controversial 2015 ICC World Cup quarter-final encounter. The Bangladesh supporters believed their team would have won were it not for a few dodgy decisions that went against their way.
The Tigers came up with the best possible reply, thrashing India in the first two ODIs to record a memorable series triumph.
Best Test moment
The first of two Tests against Pakistan will be remembered by every Bangladesh fan for a long, long time to come. Even though the Tigers clinched the preceding T20 and ODI series, they were yet to give a good account of themselves in the white outfit.
And the Tigers were up against an improbable equation in the first Test in Khulna. The hosts needed to survive the best part of the last two days in order to draw the Test. And they did just that, thanks to their openers Tamim and Imrul Kayes. A record 312-run stand for the opening wicket laid a solid platform as the Tigers drew the Test against all odds.
Tamim became only the second Bangladesh cricketer, after Mushfiqur Rahim, to score a double century while Imrul
chipped in with 150, his highest in any format of the game.
