Dubai: Bangladesh’s cricket team has improved in leaps and bounds in recent years and this week’s one-day series triumph over India should not be termed as a surprise.
After the Tigers’ impressive performaces in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, India should have expected a hard time at Mirpur. The fact that the series is being held in Bangladesh made it that much tougher for the Indians.
This series win is a message that no team in modern cricket should be taken for granted. Bangladesh today have five top players who can perform against anyone with Shakib Al Hassan, Tamim Iqbal, Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim, limited-overs skipper Mashrafe Mortaza and Rubel Hossain being experienced campaigners.
When they are backed up by fresh, enthusiastic youngsters like 19–year-old left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who ran through the reputed Indian batting line-up with a six-wicket spell in the second match, any team would find it hard to beat them.
The biggest advantage with Bangladesh is that they are not superstars or super-busy like the Indian players and hence play freely with enjoyment. Their players are also not rich like the Indians, who now hardly take a break from the game, playing continiously whether in the World Cup or Indian Premier League. Bangladesh’s players, on the other hand, were fresh and raring to go and that showed that on the field.
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has found the series defeat to Bangladesh very disappointing and has even stated he is willing to give up his captaincy. Dhoni has lost many series abroad so is it because this defeat happened to be against Bangladesh that he wants to step down? Bangladesh are an improved team in all departments and it is high time that the superpowers in world cricket like England and India accepted this fact gracefully.
Dav Whatmore, who was Bangladesh coach during the 2007 World Cup in West Indies, imbibed confidence in the players that any team is beatable if they can play without thinking about the reputation of their opponents. On March 17, 2007, Bangladesh stunned India by five wickets at the World Cup to prove it. Unfortunately the momentum gained through that win could not be sustained.
The biggest reason behind Bangladesh’s improved performances is the deep affection of their fans towards the game. They were once a football-mad nation but today cricket is their most adored sport.
Bangladesh, by beating England and giving co-hosts New Zealand a tough time in the 2015 World Cup, and recording a 3-0 win over Pakistan recently, are demanding not only respect but also more matches. It’s a shame that someone like former Pakistan pacer Sarfraz Nawaz believes India deliberately lost this series in order to push Pakistan out of the 2017 Champions Trophy.
Bangladesh’s players deserve respect and the question that the Indian cricket board should now answer is whether, if not to Bangladesh, had they been touring South Africa or Australia would they have flown out without a full-time coach?
They have paid the price of overconfidence against an extremely skillful bunch of Bangladesh players. Some Indians were quick to ask whether Bangladesh would be India’s new arch-rivals instead of Pakistan. In fact, Bangladesh can rise to be on par with Australia if this team combination can remain steady.
