Giant Killing One at a Time

Giant Killing One at a Time

In 2000, Bangladesh had what. An ICC trophy victory that helped them qualify for the 1999 World Cup in England, during which of course they sent shock waves around the cricket world by defeating Pakistan in Northampton. But was that enough to attain the prized Test status? Bangladesh had one ICC trophy in their closet; Zimbabwe, their immediate competitor, had three. Hence, the top brass at the Bangladesh Cricket Board believed their showings on the ground wouldn't be enough to stake a claim for Test status and they started pushing their luck by bidding to host some top flight cricket. Bangladesh went on to stage the Independence Cup (1998), the first ICC knockout tournament (1998) and the final of the Asian Test championship (1999).

Next year, on a June afternoon in London at the ICC Annual Meeting, the then BCB President delivered what was a historic 45-minute presentation and a round of voting that followed saw Bangladesh bag all nine votes. And thus emerged the newest Test kid on the block.

It took the subcontinent minnows five years to register their first Test win - against Zimbabwe. Their first major win came against the waning West Indies in 2009, but their true renaissance came as late as in 2016 when they defeated England in Dhaka in 2016. However, this victory was unlike the one at the 1999 World Cup against Pakistan, or Cardiff where they defeated Australia, or the victory against India in the 2007 World Cup, or pipping England in the 2015 edition. All these momentous wins were separated by huge gaps of mediocrity, underwhelming performances, and more promise than delivery. In simpler words - flash in the pan.

In a refreshing turn in Bangladesh's fortunes, their Test win against England was a proper follow-up to their first Test in Dhaka, where they had run their opponents too close for comfort. Soon after, when they toured New Zealand for a two-Test series, they rode on a stellar double ton and a big hundred from Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim respectively to earn a lead. Although, they lost the Test after a poor second innings, they knew they had it in them to hold gripping moments of an away Test. The overseas box was ticked in Sri Lanka when they came from behind to topple one of the most feared hosts, at the P Sara Oval. And the more recent win against Australia rounded off what has been a constant urge to get better in the format that has seen them troubled the most.

However, the series against Australia presented a whole new opportunity. Never had Bangladesh earned a series lead in the first Test against a major team. More than the opportunity, it was the grandeur of the occasion that they took time to get used to. Often the thought of achieving something huge could be so consuming that it gets messed up in the mind itself. Could that be said of Bangladesh when even a draw could have handed them a historic series win? Possibly. Especially after Mushfiqur Rahim spoke of his side not settling for a draw but would stick to their guns to push for a win, and that was the only way they knew to play. All that only to put out defensive fields during Australia's innings, led by David Warner with supporting roles from Peter Handscomb and Steve Smith, was bizarre.

Bangladesh have more bases covered than ever before although they would know the missing pieces can pull them at an hour they can hardly afford. Tamim Iqbal is no more the reckless opener he had arrived as and with consistent scores at the top of the order, he solves one of the major woes of his side. However, a young top order has failed to live up to its promise. The likes of Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes and Mominul Haque have failed to stick it out together with the problems not ending just there. Kayes was vocal in his concerns as he mentioned that he had been finding it difficult to draft in as No. 3, a role he's not used to. The curious case of Mominul being dropped and reinstated was run on headlines, after a clear miscommunication between the player and the think-tank. While Mominul's promise as a middle-order bat cannot be denied, the think-tank seemed unhappy with the pace of his innings. While finding a route that covers the two, Mominul found himself straddling between two boats.

Shakib's biggest enemy is his best friend itself - aggression. One of the most notable moments of Bangladesh's defeat in Wellington was a poorly thought shot in the second innings, following which the visitors completely fluffed a bright opportunity, that after bagging a slim lead in the first innings. Similarly, an unacceptable shot in the second innings of the Dhaka Test saw the downfall of Shakib, with the lead reading 185 and five wickets down. Sabbir Rahman and Mehidy Hasan's cameos managed to help Bangladesh stretch their lead, which in hindsight is an indicator of how the result could have been reversed, given Australia lost by just 20 runs. While Shakib has always maintained that this remained his natural game and he didn't see any fault in it, there were two occasions in the current year which could have had deep implications.

It would not be an aberration to say that Bangladesh's bowling, at least in the subcontinent, evokes more faith than its batting. In the spin troika of Shakib, Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam, Bangladesh have bowlers who can give them 40 wickets in a Test match. However, the lack of teeth in their pace bowling, more so with the ongoing frailties of Mustafizur Rahman, puts Bangladesh in a spot of bother. The lack of trust in Shafiul Islam showed in the opening Test, and for bizarre reasons Taskin Ahmed wasn't preferred. While it is no wrong to invest fully in spinners in conditions supporting the same, the advantage of having raw pace on up-and-down wicket would have only helped. As Bangladesh ready themselves to tour South Africa later this month for a two-Test series, this lack of faith in its pace battery might rear its head. How Bangladesh manage to fill in that and in real time, would be a huge challenge, apart from being up against a mighty Test unit.

The biggest validation for any growing Test side is in its showings against the major sides. While Bangladesh had sporadically achieved it, it has only become more consistent in the past one year. Bangladesh would rejoice that the big boys aren't just taking notice of their growing threat, but also planning hard on getting past them. Complacency is a thing of the past. So when the big sides are showing more respect towards them, it is time Bangladesh respected themselves more, and not just be happy with one win when they can possibly have two.