Despite being an industrial area, Fatullah is not as noisy
and chaotic as Dhaka. There is a certain calmness which gifts one mental
refreshment from the day to day hassles of city life. The people of Fatullah
are warm-hearted, cordial and passionate about sports. And when it comes about
expressing the passion about cricket, the people of Fatullah are an effulgent
bunch of species. The Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Cricket Stadium was established
by keeping in mind the passionate
cricket fans of Fatullah.
The last time this town hosted a Test match was way back in
2006 when a young Bangladesh team led by Habibul Bashar almost dished out an
astonishing victory against the world champions Australia. Had Mashrafe Mortaza
not dropped Ricky Ponting, the result could have been something else. Nine
years have passed since then. The people of Fatullah are thirsty to witness
another epic encounter and within few days, they will be able to quench their
thirst as the Tigers will take on the Indians in a one-off Test series.
The people wish to witness another intrepid display from the
Tigers like 2006. The result of 2006 was a tragic one, but now, they don’t want
the repetition of another tragedy. They wish to add another gloried story in
its enriched history. But to script a glorifying story, Bangladesh must change
their attitude while playing Test cricket.
So far, Bangladesh’s progress in 2015 has been eye-catching.
The attitude of the team has changed dramatically under Chadika Hathurusingha
and their fearless brand of cricket has become one of the most attractive
things for the spectators around the globe. The boys have certainly become men.
But the Tigers’ attractive display can only be seen in the
limited-over version as because, in Test cricket, Bangladesh are yet to hit the
jackpot. Yes, the honorable draw against Pakistan in the first Test at Khulna
was encouraging, but the meek surrender in the second Test at Mirpur was
frustrating and left the critics thinking whether the heroics in Khulna were a
flash out of the pan or not.
Bangladesh’s attitude is not positive in Test cricket. While
playing a Test match, their main motto remains of avoiding a defeat. They play
for survival and not victory. Yes, for the lower-ranked teams, the ploy of
avoiding-a-defeat is good for a transient period, but they never guarantee a
better future. As because, such a defensive approach never teaches a team how
to win in Test cricket.
The Indian team is very strong and their main strength is
batting. They have some world class batters who love to dominate the bowlers.
On the placid tracks of the subcontinent, the Indian batters are almost
invincible and for which playing just three front line bowlers against them
will be an absolute waste. Bangladesh must surface a team where they will have
the services of at least five bowlers. Otherwise, they will be found toiling
hard under the sun.
Again, the Bangladeshi batsmen must shun their adventurous
stroke-play and need to learn the importance of patience and when to apply caution and when to attack.
Their nag of exhibiting adventurous stroke-play without judging the merit of
the ball had resulted in fatal outcomes many times in the past. An ideal
temperament for batting in Test cricket is needed from the batters and this is
not an impossible task for the likes of Tamim Iqbal, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur
Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan.
Moreover, the Bangladesh think-tank must give enough
emphasize on preparing sporting wickets rather than dead tracks. Sporting
wickets are extremely helpful in instilling a positive temperament among the
cricketers and produce quality cricketers as well.
If Bangladesh wish to do well against India, then they must
shun their defensive mindset and play for a victory. The captain of the Indian
team Virat Kohli is an aggressive and positive cricketer. He dreams big and
never shies away from chasing his dreams. He will come out at Fatullah all guns
blazing and to challenge Virat’s India, Mushfiqur must be bold and proactive. A
defensive approach will only script a frustrating result.
Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on
06/06/2015 Bangladesh should shun defensive strategies against India
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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