A different kind of fearlessness
Bangladesh
T20 captain Mahmudullah Riyad (R) and Co. yesterday arrived in Rajkot,
where the Tigers’ will face India in the second of a three-match T20I
series on Thursday. Photo: BCB
Bangladesh’s first ever T20I win over India showcased a different
brand of thinking by the team’s think tank with the motto being fearless
cricket, as Mushfiqur Rahim had declared during the press conference
following the game. That essence was prevalent in all departments, from
bowling to electric fielding potency and then the maturity of playing
reserved T20 knocks on what was a very difficult surface to score runs.
While it may be too early to talk about a certain thinking process
behind the win, how a certain motif appeared throughout the game is some
sort of justification. Mahmudullah Riyad led from the front and his
presence on the field and calm energy transmitted through to his
players. If this was the first show of intent about how Bangladesh could
carry forward successful captaincy stints by Mashrarfe Bin Mortaza in
ODIs and Shakib Al Hasan -- who is to stay out of all cricket following a
two-year ban, with one year of that suspended -- Mahmudullah passed his
first test with flying colours.
The skipper had radiated confidence during the press conference ahead of the game, talking about how he enjoys the captaincy role and reiterating that he saw the emergency situation of him being thrust into the hot seat as an opportunity and not a burden. His parting words during that press conference was that the Tigers had ‘nothing to lose’. Lest that be construed as a stray soundbite, Mahmudullah added: ‘But we have something to gain and we are focusing only on that’.
That addition was vital and must have been an important part of the message communicated to the dressing room. A sort of ‘do not go full tilt and break the windmill’. It showed when the Tigers took the field at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. There was aggression but there was also control, a delicate mixture that was always sought but often too hard to harness and execute.
When Bangladesh took the field, the fielders ran themselves to the ground trying to save runs and keep up the pressure on the India batsmen. Mahmdullah set a field which asked difficult questions of the batsmen, forcing them to come up with shots that went against the match scenario.
“We are inspired to put on a good performance,” Riyad had said prior
to the match and it was evident on the field with the captain leading
the way with his body language and agility on the field.
Think for one moment what this team has achieved. A players’ strike called before the preparation camp for the India series had seen focus shift from cricket. Then, after the issues were resolved with BCB higher-ups saying plenty but eventually agreeing to meet the cricketers’ demands, Bangladesh cricket was rocked by Shakib’s ban. Tamim Iqbal too would miss the series to be with his pregnant wife. A tough tour in the best of times, the Tigers’ India trek was made all the more difficult by these aspects.
Then India scored 148 on a pitch where the ball did not come on to the bat. That is when the experience of Mushfqur shone through, but Soumya Sarkar also played a pivotal role in the win. The duo could have easily succumbed to pressure but they showed guts by deciding to grind things out. They decided to take the game deep, showing immense faith in their own abilities despite Bangladesh’s record of losing close encounters against India. The spur of the moment could have made them try to finish things early but they decisively kept calm with Soumya almost playing an uncharacteristic knock. All for the team, a collective approach.
Mushfiqur’s brilliance embodied the ‘fearless cricket’ he talked about following the game. But it was fearlessness of a different kind, one not associated with Bangladesh cricket. There was control and then there was deliverance when needed. Just action according to moment. This fearlessness was best showcased by this young Bangladesh side with the likes of Afif Hossain and Aminul Islam playing important roles with the ball. Their youthful passion along with leadership from Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur galvanised the side. Their faith in what they could achieve together was reflected in young leggie Aminul’s words yesterday.
“I was adapting according to the batsman who was facing me, [trying] to bowl in the right areas. That was the plan and we all believed we could do it,” he said yesterday in front of the team hotel before the Tigers left the Delhi smog with Rajkot their next destination, where the second T20 is to be played on November 7.
The team snapped selfies with Indian actor Arbaaz Khan at the Delhi airport. Photo: BCB/Collected
The skipper had radiated confidence during the press conference ahead of the game, talking about how he enjoys the captaincy role and reiterating that he saw the emergency situation of him being thrust into the hot seat as an opportunity and not a burden. His parting words during that press conference was that the Tigers had ‘nothing to lose’. Lest that be construed as a stray soundbite, Mahmudullah added: ‘But we have something to gain and we are focusing only on that’.
That addition was vital and must have been an important part of the message communicated to the dressing room. A sort of ‘do not go full tilt and break the windmill’. It showed when the Tigers took the field at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. There was aggression but there was also control, a delicate mixture that was always sought but often too hard to harness and execute.
When Bangladesh took the field, the fielders ran themselves to the ground trying to save runs and keep up the pressure on the India batsmen. Mahmdullah set a field which asked difficult questions of the batsmen, forcing them to come up with shots that went against the match scenario.
Think for one moment what this team has achieved. A players’ strike called before the preparation camp for the India series had seen focus shift from cricket. Then, after the issues were resolved with BCB higher-ups saying plenty but eventually agreeing to meet the cricketers’ demands, Bangladesh cricket was rocked by Shakib’s ban. Tamim Iqbal too would miss the series to be with his pregnant wife. A tough tour in the best of times, the Tigers’ India trek was made all the more difficult by these aspects.
Then India scored 148 on a pitch where the ball did not come on to the bat. That is when the experience of Mushfqur shone through, but Soumya Sarkar also played a pivotal role in the win. The duo could have easily succumbed to pressure but they showed guts by deciding to grind things out. They decided to take the game deep, showing immense faith in their own abilities despite Bangladesh’s record of losing close encounters against India. The spur of the moment could have made them try to finish things early but they decisively kept calm with Soumya almost playing an uncharacteristic knock. All for the team, a collective approach.
Mushfiqur’s brilliance embodied the ‘fearless cricket’ he talked about following the game. But it was fearlessness of a different kind, one not associated with Bangladesh cricket. There was control and then there was deliverance when needed. Just action according to moment. This fearlessness was best showcased by this young Bangladesh side with the likes of Afif Hossain and Aminul Islam playing important roles with the ball. Their youthful passion along with leadership from Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur galvanised the side. Their faith in what they could achieve together was reflected in young leggie Aminul’s words yesterday.
“I was adapting according to the batsman who was facing me, [trying] to bowl in the right areas. That was the plan and we all believed we could do it,” he said yesterday in front of the team hotel before the Tigers left the Delhi smog with Rajkot their next destination, where the second T20 is to be played on November 7.
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