Mash boosts middle and lower order

“From an almost invincible team to be vulnerable’—Bangladesh’s chance to be champions for the first time in a tri-nation tournament is appeared to be fizzled out very quickly. The 10-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in the last match of the league phase, after being dismissed for 82, unearthed Bangladesh’s so many loopholes, which actually was not new problems. The difference is that the top order, specially Tamim Iqbal has been playing with so much assuredness that the problems go unnoticed more often.

Bangladesh middle and lower middle order were never dependable. Two times they were exposed in the tournament—one against Zimbabwe but the bowlers bowled so well that Bangladesh won the match. However against Sri Lanka, the bowlers had nothing to do with just 82 runs on the board. What actually would make Bangladesh happy that this was not the final match or they tasted those collapses in the match in what was considered as dead rubber for them. It allowed them to have a soul searching and rectify their mistakes ahead of the final. But if the middle and lower middle order continues to be misfiring, Bangladesh would squander a golden chance. This tournament is the best opportunity for them to win a title that eluded them on three occasions in the past.

In 2009, Bangladesh moved into the final of a tri-nation series, also involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe but they lost to Sri Lanka by two wickets despite reducing Sri Lanka to five or six. Only a great knock from Kumar Sangakkara and a late onslaught of Muttiah Muralitharan helped Sri Lanka cruise to the victory. Then Bangladesh also came into the final of an Asia Cup, beating the likes of India and Sri Lanka but in the most crucial game they tasted another two-wicket defeat to Pakistan. In 2016 Asia Cup T20, they made it to the final against India but couldn’t fight like the last two occasions.

However this time they played the tri-nation tournament as highest ranked team and played like a boss until the final match of the first phase. Expectation still runs high, considering the last match as fluke only but whether it is fluke or not, they would have to prove it in the final. Bangladesh’s three straight wins in the tournament were scripted by their two stalwarts –Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. They had bad day in the last match and Bangladesh’s real test would come if these two have another bad day in the final.

However Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was unfazed by the middle order collapse, terming the last match as an accident.

“It was an accident which was good. Because that was not the final match,” Mashrafe said. “It’s right that we fall in pressurized situation if Tamim and Shakib couldn’t deliver the goods. We rely on the start from Tamim always, Shakib is amongst the best. Mushfiqur also played well but he didn’t get any support from the others in the last match. Our middle order collapsed in the last two consecutive match. But I don’t think our middle order can’t control the things if such situation again comes in the final. I am not worried about it totally.”

Mash boosts middle and lower order

From an almost invincible team to be vulnerableBangladeshs chance to be champions for the first time in a tri-nation tournament is appeared to be fizzled out very quickly. The 10-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in the last match of the league phase, after being dismissed for 82, unearthed Bangladeshs so many loopholes, which actually was not new problems. The difference is that the top order, specially Tamim Iqbal has been playing with so much assuredness that the problems go unnoticed more often. Bangladesh middle and lower middle order were never dependable. Two times they were exposed in the tournamentone against Zimbabwe but the bowlers bowled so well that Bangladesh won the match. However against Sri Lanka, the bowlers had nothing to do with just 82 runs on the board. What actually would make Bangladesh happy that this was not the final match or they tasted those collapses in the match in what was considered as dead rubber for them. It allowed them to have a soul searching and rectify their mistakes ahead of the final. But if the middle and lower middle order continues to be misfiring, Bangladesh would squander a golden chance. This tournament is the best opportunity for them to win a title that eluded them on three occasions in the past. In 2009, Bangladesh moved into the final of a tri-nation series, also involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe but they lost to Sri Lanka by two wickets despite reducing Sri Lanka to five or six. Only a great knock from Kumar Sangakkara and a late onslaught of Muttiah Muralitharan helped Sri Lanka cruise to the victory. Then Bangladesh also came into the final of an Asia Cup, beating the likes of India and Sri Lanka but in the most crucial game they tasted another two-wicket defeat to Pakistan. In 2016 Asia Cup T20, they made it to the final against India but couldnt fight like the last two occasions. However this time they played the tri-nation tournament as highest ranked team and played like a boss until the final match of the first phase. Expectation still runs high, considering the last match as fluke only but whether it is fluke or not, they would have to prove it in the final. Bangladeshs three straight wins in the tournament were scripted by their two stalwarts Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. They had bad day in the last match and Bangladeshs real test would come if these two have another bad day in the final. However Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza was unfazed by the middle order collapse, terming the last match as an accident. It was an accident which was good. Because that was not the final match, Mashrafe said. Its right that we fall in pressurized situation if Tamim and Shakib couldnt deliver the goods. We rely on the start from Tamim always, Shakib is amongst the best. Mushfiqur also played well but he didnt get any support from the others in the last match. Our middle order collapsed in the last two consecutive match. But I dont think our middle order cant control the things if such situation again comes in the final. I am not worried about it totally.