Bangladesh at last take bold step
First time five specialist bowlers included in Tigers line-up
Syed Mohammed Pithu, Ctg
Bangladesh finally took a bold step of not sticking to the conservative approach in designing the team combination and reaped an instant reward yesterday in the first Test against South Africa. The Bangladesh team management generally had a knack to field a batting-heavy side in longer version cricket with a fear in mind that they couldnt fight in shoulder to shoulder with the top teams of the world.
Even though they have been in on top form in the ODI cricket for the last eight months, Bangladesh rarely took a move to field an attacking bowling side in order to press for a result against Pakistan or India. It is general norms that a side needs to take 20 wickets if they want to win a Test match and for which an attacking bowling department is mandatory. Bangladesh though always talk about a Test victory against any top flight nation, practically they are used to come up with the mindset of drawing the match.
The trend however was altered against South Africa as they went with five specialist bowlers to give them a chance at least to press for a victory. As the confidence was high following a series of success in the limited overs cricket, it was high time for the team management to leave out the conservative approach and be bold in decision making.
The result may not go in their favour but the move is praiseworthy, specially after they made their intention of winning a Test match clear. To form a potent bowling attack, they however had to sacrifice an inform batsman like Soumya Sarkar who literally single-handedly demolished South African bowling attack in the ODI. Test is though a different format, success and form could make any batsman confident for any format. However the boldness lied in the decision of omitting such an audacious batsman. Since Mushfiqur couldnt keep the wicket, Litton Das was the only choice to take the gloves which left no option for Soumya to make a room. The coming four days will determine whether the move pays off but at least on the first day, the five specialist bowlers strategy went for Bangladesh.
All of the specialist bowlers other than pacer Mohammad Shahid got the wickets and contributed in wrapping up South African innings in just a single day. Shahid may not get any wicket but his five straight maidens in the post-lunch session created a huge pressure to which the South African batsmen succumbed eventually. It was just the third time that Bangladesh could wrap up any Test nation on day one. The other two teams were second string West Indian side in 2009 and Zimbabwe in the last year. So categorically, the South Africa is the first top flight Test nation whom Bangladesh could bowl out on day one.
In the Test against India, Bangladesh felt a need of the fifth specialist bowlers when the Indian batsmen were on a roll. However the same case could have been happened against South Africa but a presence of fifth bowler made it Bangladeshs day. South Africa were 136 for one at one stage but lost nine wickets for 112 runs to be all out 148.
Ahead of this Test, the team management was in dilemma whether they would go for eight batsman theory including Shakib Al Hasan (who gives the side a luxury of a bowler and a batsman simultaneously). Insiders said there was series of discussion regarding this whether they would field two specialist spinners alongside Shakib Al Hasan. Finally the team management took the decision of fielding five bowlers in order to give them shot to win a Test.
Its a bold move because you need to take 20 wickets if you want to win the Test. Considering Bangladeshs form at the moment, it was the high time actually to take such a move. Hopefully it will pay off, said former national cricket captain Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu.
SCOREBOARD
South Africa 1st innings:
D Elgar c Litton b Taijul 47
S van Zyl c Litton b Riyad 34
F du Plessis lbw b Shakib 48
H Amla c Litton b Mustafizur 13
T Bavuma c Jubair b Mustafizur 54
J Duminy lbw b Mustafizur 0
Q de Kock b Mustafizur 0
V Philander c Shakib b Jubair 24
S Harmer c Mominul b Jubair 9
D Steyn c Tamim b Jubair 2
M Morkel not out 3
Extras (b8 lb5, nb 1) 14
Total (all out; 83.3 overs) 248
Fall of wickets: 1-58, 2-136, 3-136, 4-173, 5-173, 6-173, 7-208, 8-237, 9-239, 10-248.
BOWLING O M R W
M Shahid 17 9 34 0
Mustafizur 17.4 6 37 4
Shakib 14 2 45 1
M Riyad 3 0 9 1
Taijul 18 3 57 1
Jubair 14 1 53 3
Bangladesh first innings:
Tamim not out 1
I Kayes not out 5
Extras (nb1) 1
Total (for no wicket; 2 overs) 7
BOWLING O M R W
D Steyn 1 0 6 0
V Philander 1 0 1 0
