Mahumudullahs call to change the mindset
Playing on dead wicket wont be good for future cricket
Syed Mohammed Pithu
There was tough call ahead of the second and series deciding Testwhether Bangladesh would go for a result or keep them in safe position. There were some things to ponder: teams most influential all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was not in the team due to his injury and Sri Lankas spin attack would find a home-like condition if they get a spinning track. In the past, Bangladesh were used to ensure the safety first but those days were gone. Bangladesh team management was very keen to change the trend and history, so they opted for a spinning track. At the end, Bangladesh tasted a humiliating 215-run defeat and conceded the series but the team management was adamant they chose the right path.
Things actually didnt go as Bangladesh expected. Bangladesh batsmen showed in the past they are capable of playing superb cricket in this kind of surface when they beat team like England and Australia. Sri Lankan spinners were equipped well than the spinners of Australia and England and their batsmen also knew better than the Aussie and English batsmen as to how excel the innings in this surface. But Bangladesh still kept belief on their ability.
The team management brought up Sabbir Rahman in the place of Mosaddek Hossain Saikat because he played sweep, reverse sweep against spin well and he is very aggressive. They thought their aggression would work well at their home condition but at the end aggression was what backfired. There needed to draw a fine line between the positivity and over-aggression, something which they couldnt address properly.
You cant be defensive in this wicket, Bangladesh stand-in captain Mahmudullah Riyad said and he was right in assessment. We need to be aggressive but we couldnt pick up moment when to attack or when to leave. That cost us the game eventually.
Tamim Iqbal was not in the kind of form that he was against Australia and England. Tamims form actually hurt Bangladesh more than any other things. The opener made just six runs (4 and 2) in the Test while he made a century against England and played two 70 plus knock against Australia in winning cause. The second fact was Bangladesh could build a partnership, what was badly needed in this surface. They at least could learn from Roshen Silva, a player, experienced of just three Tests, who guided lower order astutely to take the target out of reach from Bangladesh.
Roshen Silva put on 36-run with No. 10 batsman Suranga Lakmal. Only one Bangladesh partnership - the 46-run second-wicket association between Mominul and Kayes - was better than this 36-run stand between Roshen and Lakmal.
Building partnership was imperative to win any Test and in this kind of wicket it was mandatory. We couldnt do that. Sri Lankan batsmens ball selection was better than us. They applied them nicely what we couldnt do, Riyad said.
Bangladesh couldnt do the things the way they wanted to do but according to Mahmudullah Riyad, they didnt make any mistakes by choosing a spinning track. He said they should change the mindset of keeping them in safe position rather they should play the cricket to win the game.
Win and loss is the part and parcel of the cricket game. We should change the mindset, otherwise we cant develop as a cricket nation. If we continue playing in dead wicket, that wont be good for our future.
