Bangladesh middle order fails to pass the test of temperament

“The inspiring fight back at Hamilton in fourth innings should have helped Bangladesh to show more character against New Zealand pacers today, but the way Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Mithun and skipper Mahmudullah Riyad were dismissed – the lack of temperament should be blamed more than technique”

The first two days had been washed out due to a heavy down pour. The rainfall stopped, but the cloud overhead was grey and always bore the risk of another wash out. But thankfully, the game could go on for more than 70 overs and during this brief period, it offered some rib-line bowling from a monster named Neil Wagner, a piece of gem from Chattogram’s Tamim Iqbal and yet again, the failure of Bangladesh middle-order batsmen to cope under pressure.

Even though the Wellington deck was painted green – a rarity these days – but it did not bother Tamim and Shadman Islam at all. Both of them repeated the good works done at Hamilton and notched up yet another fifty-run stand for the third time in a row in New Zealand – a feat which has been achieved after almost two decades. It was the dynamic duo of Gary Kirtsen and Herschelle Gibbs, who last did a Tamim-and-Shadman way back in 1999.      

Tim Southee and Trent Boult struggled to achieve the desired movement off the seam and surface early on and thus, it allowed Tamim and Shadman to adapt quickly. But when they started to achieve movement, it did not matter much as by then Tamim had entered into the zone from where he can bat the way he likes – pivot on the back foot and dish out the stylish slashes through the square of the wicket – a photographers delight.

The openers gave Bangladesh the desired platform on a greenish deck, but sadly, Bangladesh middle order repeated the display of fragile temperament in first innings at Hamilton. Kane Williamson engaged Wagner to fetch to pile on the pressure and as usual, Bangladesh melted like an ice sculpture in a hot desert.      

 The inspiring fight back at Hamilton in fourth innings should have helped Bangladesh to show more character against New Zealand pacers today, but the way Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Mithun and skipper Mahmudullah Riyad were dismissed – the lack of temperament should be blamed more than technique.

Southee and Wagner create doubts in Mominul’s mind

Over number 32

New Zealand studied the weakness of Mominul in first Test. He is a vulnerable customer in and around middle-and-leg-stump line from a shortish-length. Before Wagner’s over, Southee operated with two slips, a gully and short midwicket against Mominul – the plan was to entice him to execute a pull or hook shot or trap him in a situation where he obliges to leave the shortish-ones down the leg side without protecting his gloves and bat handle.

The second ball was hit for four, but the following deliveries were and angled towards middle and leg stump more. It put Mominul in a discomfort zone. A single in the following delivery would allow him to face Wagner’s rib-line stuffs.

Over number 33

Wagner ran in like a predator that was thirsty for flesh and blood.

But he did the opposite of what Mominul was thinking.

 In fact, Mominul’s stance hinted that he was prepared for Wagner’s line of attack, which would be similar to Southee’s last over, but Wagner pitched back-to-back deliveries short outside the offtsump, against which a surprised Mominul tried to push and got beaten.

In the third delivery, Wagner went the Southee-way – a surprised Mominul was caught behind by BJ Watling while leaving a leg-side-short-of-a-length delivery bowled around the ribcage. The dismissal was the carbon copy of first innings of first Test.

Clearly, in the battle of mind games, New Zealand exploited Mominul’s weakness smartly. They forced him to trap in a zone, where the batsman starts to doubt his abilities and repeat the mistakes.      

Wagner changes line to off, Mithun caught in two minds

Frankly, the last three balls, which Mohammad Mithun faced from Wagner were countered quite confidently. He went back well and defended when the ball pitched from a shortish length and legstump line, and ducked confidently when it posed a threat.

Over number 35

Mithun was gifted more of the rib-line bowling from Wagner. What more required was the focus, which he exhibited in previous three deliveries. After negotiating four deliveries, he should not have gone for the pull shot in the fifth, but left it alone. That pull shot only helped Wagner to realise, Mithun was feeling the pressure and like Mominul he was caught in two minds.

Wagner changed the line from leg to off in the final delivery – the last ball before lunch.    

Mithun, caught in two minds, failed to drop his wrists while leaving the ball, which jumped from a short-length towards middle and off. The ball kissed his inside edge and flew towards Watling. One could not understand whether Mithun was trying to get on top of bounce or not, but clearly, he was out-thought by Wagner.

The offstump line of attack for Soumya Sarkar  

New Zealand studied Soumya’s change of stance against short balls in Hamilton. His back-and-across movement helped him to play one of the best knocks in his Test career.

New Zealand persisted with a line in-and-around third and fourth stump and instead of two, three slips was kept in place when Matt Henry was operating with Wagner. Henry persisted with a nagging line and incisive length. Soumya smothered one for six and Henry could sense his intention to counterattack – a ploy, which was not needed under the circumstances. He dished out one juicy-half-long-hop around off against which Soumya attempted a swing with an angled the bat out of nowhere. Maybe Soumya wanted to disturbed the line of attack, but with an angled bat it won’t be easy. Henry’s persistence paid off.

Wagner melts down Mahmudullah

In the first innings at Hamilton, Mahmudullah wanted to shrug off his resolve and attack Wagner. It resulted in a silly pull shot. Wagner piled on the pressure by bowling his traditional line and length and Mahmudullah simply melted. In the second innings, Mahmudullah showed was much more disciplined against Wagner, but it was surprising to see him repeat the Hamilton-type-dismissal at Wellington.

Mahmudullah garnered confidence by fetching runs against Henry, but against Wagner, the reason for his jumping and back and across could not be understood. You don’t need to jump back and across to get on top of the bounce, but can do it normally as well. Wagner continued to pose a threat and in the end, a harmless delivery accounted for his wicket. The captain was undone by a lack of temperament.

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 10/03/2019 Bangladesh middle order fails to pass the test of temperament

Thank You

Faisal Caesar          

Well done Professor Syed Ali Ahsan, Professor Kanak Kanti Barua and Brig. Harun

With due respect to renowned Cardiac Surgeon Devi Shetty, personally, I am very much annoyed the way people are talking more about him and thus overshadowing the heroic acts of BSMMU Cardiology Unit and respected consultants of other departments, Vice-chancellor of BSMMU Professor Kanak Kanti Barua and Hospital Director Brig. Harun.

It’s a pity that we are still obsessed with the opinion of a person, who was not even present during the crisis period and ignoring the true heroes.

The chairman of Cardiology department BSMMU Professor Syed Ali Ahsan gave his best shot when honourable Minister was in a cardiac arrest and took a bold step to go for the primary PCI.

Just imagine the pressure Dr. Ali Ahsan sir and his team were in while performing the procedure. And just imagine the pressure Professor Kanak Kanti Barua and Brig. Harun faced on that eventful morning of March 3, 2019.

Of course, the concerned junior doctors and nurses always remained alert and gave their effective services whenever it was necessary throughout the day and night.

It is very easy to say anything crap on social, print and electronic media, but none of you can even realise the element of risk, which persisted during that period and thankfully, the expert hands of Dr. Syed Ali Ahsan saved the day – an effort which elevated the prestige of Bangladeshi doctors to the highest level in a time when doctors were going through a critical period.

Had anything bad happened, it is people like you who would have taken the Bangladeshi doctors to the cleaners. But it is quite staggering to see, how a group is silent about the fantastic work of BSMMU Cardiology unit and how some are questioning like a school children about the shift of Minister to a foreign land and the visit of Dr. Shetty.

I am a junior doc and not someone very important, but I can confidently say, the invitation of Dr. Shetty was not needed at all. Our Cardiologists are much smart and skillful enough to take bold steps and decisions.

But on a positive note, the presence of Dr. Shetty did one thing and which is, he gave the due credit to BSMMU Cardiology doctors, which many of the non-medical persons in Bangladesh are hesitant to give. I am sorry to say, such people are born with a small mind and love to nurture hatred.

Surely, ignoring the heroic acts of doctors of Bangladesh does not make you a patriotic person, but a short-sighted and narrow-minded person.

Mr. Minister survived an acute stage in Bangladesh and it was Professor Syed Ali Ahsan and the associated doctors who deserve the credit. But in Bangladesh, a competent doctor would never be given their due respect. I have spent 2 years under Syed Ali Ahsan and know what a genius this man is!

The Honourable Minister was shifted to Singapore not just that Bangladeshi doctors are not capable of stabilizing him – as BSMMU Cardiology deal with such patients day in and day out. But it was more about external-pressures and one can’t ignore the wish of hierarchy.

Both Dr. Shetty and Bangladeshi doctros are well aware of such matters and know how to balance things.

It always becomes tough for others to receive treatment when such VIP cases get admitted due to high security reasons and this might have never happened if such VIPs got admitted regularly in such hospitals, then they would have felt the need to develop special facilities and take fruitful steps to deal such critical and pressurized cases of VIPs.

May the Almighty Allah give you people the sense and sensibility to judge fairly and cut short the intention of unnecessary show-offs for personal gains.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah Riyad sow the seed of confidence

“Bangladesh need to utilise the confidence gained at Hamilton and this Bangladesh unit is capable of delivering their best”

 For a cricketer, it is very important to have a vision and without a vision, his performance will lack purpose and direction. A cricketer needs to believe in his vision as because self-belief and values provide the energy and discipline to drive towards the desired goal.

Self-belief is similar to the roots of a tree for a cricketer.  Without self-belief, a cricketer would fall down. Now, to materialize the vision requires a perfect plan – how a cricketer organizes himself and execute to make his vision a reality, is another important aspect of achieving success at the highest level.    

Hard work, courage and learning from your mistakes are the most important ingredients, without which neither a vision nor a plan would bore fruits. In cricket the value of a tough temperament is huge. I repeat, a bold mind has helped to overcome technical insufficiencies on many occasions.

As for example in 1980, in the first Test against West Indies at Lahore, Pakistan were struggling at 95 for 5. It was up to Pakistan’s bowling all-rounder Imran Khan to sort things out. At that point of time, Imran was a better bowler than batsman. But a decade of struggle has taught him how to fight against the best and for him, mistakes have always been the best teacher. Against the likes of Malcolm Marshall, Sylvester Clarke, Colin Croft and Joel Garner; Imran went on to script his first Test hundred.

Clarke had troubled Imran a lot but his ability to get back quickly on the back foot and courage to face the barrage of short-pitch bowling helped him to salvage Pakistan’s pride. Imran worked hard on his batting technique as a County cricketer and whenever he failed with the bat, he would always spend enough time in the nets to improve his technique. He had a vision and self-belief to be the best and thus executed his plans accordingly through sheer hard work.

One could witness a fine exhibition of hard work and courage at Hamilton on Day 4 as well. All was doom and gloom in the morning with Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner fresh to hunt for the prey; an early capitulation of Bangladesh batsmen was expected. The overnight not out batsmen of Bangladesh, Mahmudullah Riyad and Soumya Sarkar did show enough courage to weather the storm at the fag end of Day 3, but whether they would be able to carry the same on fourth day remained a moot question.

A fight was much needed from Bangladesh to boost the morale of team. The responsibility was more on Mahmudullah to lead from the front as the stand-in captain. He has always been the most underrated customer and contributed heavily whenever the chips were down.

Mahmudullah delivered yet again!

In the first innings, he was dismissed while executing a poor shot against the harmless bouncer of Wagner, but he would not commit the same mistake in second. He was well enough focused and saw-off the good deliveries in morning session. His plan was to spend as much time as possible in the middle and not let the opposition take upper hand.   He ducked against the short-pitch deliveries keeping his wrist down, left the good ones as much as possible and jumped to get on top of the bounce, but never played any silly shots.

He said, “When we were batting at the first hour, we were thinking of not giving our wicket away easily. We wanted to survive that period yesterday. They bowled well in different phases. Wagner consistently tried back-of-a-length bouncers. Southee and Bolt tried to find swing with the new ball. I think maybe that is their main procedure. Maybe they try to get the edge with the new ball before going to the short stuff with the older ball”.

The patience of spending time paid off. As soon as Mahmudullah adapted to the situation, he flayed some jaw-dropping shots against Wagner and Boult. It was a great exhibition of back foot stroke-play for which Bangladesh are not renowned for. What more does a cricket romantic need when someone like Mahmdullah creams Boult through the covers off the back foot and hooks Wagner with authority for sixes.

Mahmudullah’s shot selection was much more calculative than Soumya, but when he decided to smash, he did it with disdain.

Meanwhile, Soumya was all about counterattack.  He was provided with the perfect support from Riyad at the other end to flex his muscles. Soumya’s timing was a treat for the eyes. And his back-and-across movement against New Zealand pacers, who changed angles while pitching it short – helped him to murder the attack mercilessly. Even if Soumya was not in full control while playing Wagner’s bouncers, still he had the courage and confidence to crush him out of the park.

He took just 94 balls to reach his ton – the joint quickest by a Bangladesh batsman alongside Tamim Iqbal and his partnership of 235 runs for fifth wicket with Mahmudullah is expected to prove instrumental in upcoming Test matches.

Mahmudullah and Soumya had a clear vision and the plan to execute that. They put a price tag on their wickets and did not want to surrender easily. The tough temperament was evident throughout their knocks of 146 and 149.

“I think to succeed, you have to play tough cricket in Tests because at times there will be good spells from both ends and it’s important to understand these things. We took the easy option in the first innings and went for shots and got out. A few of our batsmen fell to the same kind of shots. For the second innings, I decided not to let things go easily. I wanted to suffer and take blows on the body but still give myself a chance,” Mahmudullah said.

Mahmudullah and Soumya have sown the seed of confidence among the boys, who found the going tough and even the Bangladesh captain stated boldly, “Our batsmen have gained an idea regarding these things and hopefully we can keep these things in mind for the second Test”.

Bangladesh need to utilise the confidence gained at Hamilton and this Bangladesh unit is capable of delivering their best.

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 03/03/2019 Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah Riyad sow the seed of confidence 

Thank You
Faisal Caesar 

Soumya and Mahmudullah vs New Zealand pace attack: An encouraging battle at the fag end of Day 3

“Bangladesh can’t win this Test, but at least they can take something positive from Hamilton by exhibiting the same fight tomorrow”

Frankly speaking, from a Bangladesh perspective, there had been nothing to cherish for the visitors on Day 3. The New Zealand batsmen, like yesterday, dominated Bangladesh attack and registered their highest ever team total in their history of Test cricket. Kane Williamson smashed his second double ton and became the quickest Kiwi batter to reach 6000 runs - he has taken as many innings as Brian Lara and Younis Khan did achieve this feat.

Kane is one of the best batsmen in the world and if you bowl without enough discipline and aggressive intent to hom, he will smash you all over the park. The margin of error should be less when you bowl against the likes of Kane, Steve Smith, Virat Kohli and Joe Root. Whereas, Bangladesh bowling lacked bite throughout New Zealand’s first innings and felt the pain of getting hit time and again. Who else but Mehidy Hasan Miraz could realise the pain better who leaked 246 runs from his 45 overs – the most by a Bangladesh bowler in their 18-year old Test journey.   

The story of other Bangladeshi bowlers is quite the same – simply below-par in true sense of terms. And when they came out to bat, it was again that Tamim Iqbal stepped up to face the heat of New Zealand pace attack. Tamim changed his stance in the second innings - he stood a bit wider of legstump to counter the rib-line bowling of Wagner when he came around the wicket and it was working very well.

Bangladesh raced to 88 for 0 in a quick succession courtesy of a controlled but aggressive batting from Tamim. In Shadman Islam, Tamim found a very composed partner, but that beast named Wagner dismissed Shadman who fell to a short ball ploy. Shadman enough pressurized to execute a silly stroke against the run of play. The young mans has still a lot to learn about resolve.

Four wickets fell for just 38 runs and Bangladesh were at a risk of digesting a defeat within 3 days.

Mominul Haque, Mohammad Mithun and 74-run-scorer Tamim fell shortly with Trent Boult and Tim Southee being the wrecker in chief. It was a brilliant piece of captaincy from Kane, who wanted to unsettle the new batsmen with his strike bowlers as soon as Wagner gave them the much needed breakthrough.

In the 26th over of Bangladesh second innings, a shaky Soumya Sarkar appeared in the scene to face the music of New Zealand pace attack. Tamim was still out there at the crease, but Soumya could witness how Wagner was continuously intimidating Tamim standing at cover to have a go after the short ball. For a while, Tamim could ignore Wagner’s attempt to instill doubt in his mind, but in the end, the beast won as Tamim was caught in two minds and fell to a short delivery, against which he ducked by not dropping his wrists - the ball kissed the edge and flew towards the wicketkeeper.

Such a tough beast Wagner is – even if he is not bowling, he would try to melt you by unleashing a war of words.

Kane decided to engage Wagner along with Trent Boult and Tim Southee to pepper the two new batsmen at the crease – Mahmudullah Riyad and Soumya, both of them are weak customers against movement and short-balls.  

Wagner decided to set a trap by bowling loose-deliveries and make the batsman over-confident so that he succumbs to short-balls. His first delivery to Soumya in the 36th over of the day was a juicy half-volley, which was timed sweetly straight down the ground. Then Wagner pitched one short outside off, which was flashed hard above the wicketkeeper for another boundary.  Wagner had enough and decided to put chills down Sarkar’s spine by dishing out a nasty delivery from length, which shook Soumya. Obviously his technique to counter that bouncer was flawed. It was never a smart task to cover your face with the bat in an era when you wear modern helmets.       

That bouncer did not break Soumya’s spirit to fight, but he stood up there to carry on, even though the technical flaws existed. The idea to weather the bouncer-storm on a legstump-line by walking towards middle and off, when Wagner attacked from round the wicket was proving risky as neither Soumya was able to keep neither his bat away nor guarding his legstump.

But gradually, he settled own and fixed his approach towards short-pitch-bowling. Perhaps, the authority of Mahmudullah Riyad over Southee, Boult and Wagner’s attacking line-and-length bowled helped Soumya to reorganize his game.

Mahmudullah tackled the barrage of short-balls better than first innings as his initial movement came from back foot and got behind the line of the delivery quicker than previous innings. Such a ploy helped him to keep the ball ground more and his ability to get on top the bounce better like Shakib Al Hasan frustrated New Zealand pacers in the last 15 or 16 overs of the day.   

Wagner kept a short-leg for Soumya so that his intentions to leave the rib-line bouncers from round the wicket without leaving his bat would entice an edge, but at the fag end of day Soumya could fend off the bouncers by keeping the ball down safely with his bat. Like Mahmudullah, he was able to get on top of the bounce.

Boult, Southee and Wagner combined to bowl a hostile spell since the dismissal of Tamim, but Mahmudullah and Soumya’s fighting intent and technical adjustments arrested a collapse and took the game to Day 4.

Bangladesh can’t win this Test, but at least they can take something positive from Hamilton by exhibiting the same fight tomorrow.   

Note: This article has been published on 02/03/2019 Soumya and Mahmudullah vs New Zealand 

pace attack: An encouraging battle at the fag end of Day 3 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Bangladesh bowlers lacked intent

“The effect of wasting enough time and energy in a Twenty20 League was evident among the bowlers on Day 2”

What a glorious day for New Zealand on Day 2! The batsmen enjoyed their time at the crease as because batting was as easy as an exhibition match! Jeet Raval and Tom Latham blasted the ordinary bowling of visitors to script centuries at a rapid pace.  Whereas Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls joined the party of making Bangladesh bowling attack a mockery. At stumps New Zealand were 451 for 4 from 118 overs and keeping in mind the fragile confidence of visitors even if New Zealand declare on second day too early, they would be able to finish things off quickly tomorrow.

Perhaps you are thinking, how easy Test cricket is! Indeed, it becomes easy if one of the oppositions perform without intent. If they consider each away tour as a mere formality, then sorry to say, not only Test cricket, but any formats of the game suffer.

I am not sure whether Bangladesh are considering this New Zealand series as a formality or anything else, but their lack of intent only conveying a wrong message among the fans.

Excuses can be given about a young pace attack and absence of key players like Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, but still, in my opinion bowling with a certain discipline is not a tough task for a team whose pace bowlers are coached by Courtney Walsh. Walsh is one hell of a dedicated coach, but it would be the failure of bowlers if they fail to deliver according to the advice of Walsh.   

Khaled Ahmed, Abu Jayed and debutante Ebadot Hossain failed to penetrate and create pressure as because throughout the second day they failed to realise the importance of accuracy.

If the track is not assisting enough, then it is always ideal to do the basics right way – pitch the ball on a fourth or sixth stump line, rather than eight and nine enough and the length should be pulled back and tad fuller. But the Bangladesh pacers did opposite as they pitched consistently on a half-volley and long hop length and the line swayed on the leg side more often. Such a line-and-length only offers misery and Bangladesh paid a heavy price today.

At the other end, Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz can be regarded as an experienced campaigner right now and should have displayed the discipline in bowling. But it seems, he made a mess while floating the deliveries as if he was bowling in a Twenty20 League. The effect of wasting enough time and energy in a Twenty20 League was evident among the bowlers on Day 2.     

Someone like Taijul Islam has a very ordinary record away from home. But when you think about adding a different dimension and a dose of experience to the bowling attack, Taijul could have been considered instead of an extra pacer. In Test cricket a legspinner and left-arm orthodox bowler always give the bowling a different dimension.     

It was Soumya Sarkar who gave Bangladesh some breakthroughs. He might have dropped the catch of Latham earlier, but took the revenge, even though too late, by dishing out a fuller delivery just in-and-around offstump and enticed Latham to drive, but was caught by Mohammad Mithun at wide-slip. Then Soumya hooked the big fish, Ross Taylor with an inducker, which zipped off the deck from back-of-a-length. Taylor failed to negotiate it and was trapped lbw.   

In the afternoon session, Soumya showed what accurate bowling can do and it is not difficult enough to bowl according to a certain line-and-length if your bowling attack is missing key players and hung over by Bangladesh Premier League.

 The matter is all about how focused you are!  

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 01/03/2019 Bangladesh bowlers lacked intent

Thank You
Faisal Caesar