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The team will be pleased to see their young batters taking leading roles and the tail finally generating some runs

Mohammad Isam13-May-2023Bangladesh’s three-wicket win against Ireland on Friday was only their sixth successful 300-plus chase in ODIs. The elements that stood out in this pursuit were the younger batters taking lead roles, the long tail that finally generated some runs, and the timing of it all. In a World Cup year when they are trying to enter the tournament with confidence and enhance their credentials as an ODI outfit, Chelmsford’s show was the ideal batting performance.Najmul Hossain Shanto, whose position in ODIs was dicey not so long ago, cracked his maiden century in the format. Shanto’s acceleration under pressure, when Bangladesh had lost two early wickets in a 320-chase, was heartening for the Bangladesh fans. He had been subject to a lot of trolling in the last two years but ever since the T20 World Cup in November 2022, he has grown as a batter.Related

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• Najmul Hossain Shanto century, Mushfiqur Rahim finishing see Bangladesh to victory

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After the second ODI, Shanto, however, spoke highly of Towhid Hridoy who supported him with a quickfire 68. Hridoy is more of a newcomer than Shanto, having made his debut in March this year, and quickly grabbed a middle-order spot that’s so hotly contested between him and senior batters like Mahmudullah and Afif Hossain.Shanto and Hridoy added 131 runs for the fourth wicket after Shakib Al Hasan got out softly in the 17th over. Shakib and Shanto added 61 quickly but Ireland felt they had a big say in the game when Shakib got out. Hridoy, however, shut down that notion quickly.Shanto and Hridoy had the best partnership in this season’s BPL, including a century and three fifty stands. Shanto finishing as the BPL’s highest run-getter played into his growing confidence while this year’s BPL was Hridoy’s breakout season.”This win will definitely give us a lot of confidence,” Shanto said. “Hridoy’s intent helped my batting. He never seemed nervous. Our partnership served the exact purpose. We didn’t worry about the outcome. We tried to play our natural cricket. We hope that this type of cricket will do us good in the near future.”I certainly enjoying batting with him. We had some big partnerships in the BPL. We understand how we bat together. His intent is really good for the team. It puts the opponent under pressure. He doesn’t go away from his process regardless of losing three or four wickets. I think this is how we should play. Our mantra is to stick to our own processes and natural game in any situation, without caring much about losing three or four wickets.”Shanto said that he was pleased with his own effort although not being there in the end left him a little disappointed after the game. “I am very happy to get my first ODI hundred. I felt I batted the way I wanted to bat properly. I would have been happier to finish the game.”I didn’t think much about the cold weather. I reacted to the merit of the ball. I didn’t worry about the outcome. I tried to bat positively. It was a great wicket but there was some challenge to face the new ball.”Bangladesh’s bigger and more complicated challenge was to navigate the chase with four genuine tail-enders. Some may argue that Taijul Islam is still a decent batter, but he has no limited-overs credentials. Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud and Ebadto Hossain are genuine tail-enders, so scoring 320 runs in 45 overs with the top seven seemed a bit of a tight spot for the visitors.Mushfiqur Rahim scoops it over the wicketkeeper’s head for the the winning runs•Andrew Miller/ESPNcricinfo LtdBangladesh needed another 63 runs when the last recognised pair of Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz got together in the 37th over. Mehidy got out when they needed 34 runs in the last 5.2 overs. But Mushfiqur got those runs with surprising help from Taijul and Shoriful.Shanto said that Bangladesh proved that they can chase with seven specialist batters but they needed a bit of luck with the TV umpire unable to find a good enough angle to judge Mushfiqur’s run-out, and when Mark Adair bowled a no-ball in the last over.”It doesn’t matter whether we have seven or eight batters. We have to bat with responsibility and intent. I didn’t think we had fewer batters in the line-up. We chased 320 successfully. We could chase 350 successfully.”We always believed we could win, seeing the wicket and conditions. We knew we could chase this target. We spoke about it in the dressing room. We needed the luck, so we got it through the no-ball and that run out.”Shanto said that Bangladesh will look to improve in the last ODI on Sunday, but he felt the bowlers did a good job for 39 out of the 45 overs. He also mentioned that they always discussed when to bring Mehidy into the bowling attack, before figuring out that Ireland probably could be countered with the offspinner bowling from a particular end.”I don’t think we bowled badly. The coach (Chandika Hathurusingha) mentioned that we gave six or seven big overs out of the 45 overs. Otherwise, we bowled well for 39 overs. The one who got the century for them, batted really well. I think there’s no reason to blame anyone. There’s always room for improvement, but the way the bowlers did here, it will help us in the future.”We were all discussing, including the captain, about when to bring Miraz into the attack. But there was more trust on Taijul . Then we realised that it was harder to hit a right-hander from one end, because it was big. They were playing well against left-arm spin. We believe in him. He bowled well. He is very helpful. We want a situation where anyone can bowl in any situation.”

Australia head to India for a three-match series ahead of the World Cup with plenty to ponder after a 3-2 series defeat against South Africa

Alex Malcolm18-Sep-2023

Australia’s injury list lengthens

Australia entered the five-match series missing Pat Cummins (wrist fracture), Steven Smith (wrist tendon), Mitchell Starc (groin soreness) and Glenn Maxwell (ankle) but were buoyed by the opportunity to test their bench strength before those players returned. All of those players still need to get up to match fitness and intensity in India ahead of the World Cup but Australia leave South Africa with more injury issues.Travis Head has a fractured hand and is in severe doubt for the World Cup. Coach Andrew McDonald confirmed after the final ODI that he is unlikely to be available for the first half of the tournament and the selectors have to decide whether to carry him in the squad or not. Sean Abbott has split the webbing in his hand and will be monitored in India.Ashton Agar played just one game in South Africa coming off a calf tear. It was planned that he would play more but he experienced soreness and missed the second and third matches of the series before heading home for the birth of his child and he won’t play in the series in India starting on Friday.Nathan Ellis (adductor) and Spencer Johnson (hamstring) aren’t in the World Cup 15-man squad at the moment but both are key back-up fast bowling options and both leave South Africa with niggles. Australia has five more matches before the World Cup to get players up and running but they also have to factor in nine World Cup pool games in eight cities over the course of only a month in the tournament proper. It is a heavy workload for even a fully fit squad.Related

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• Head's slim World Cup hopes to be determined back in Australia

Dismal death bowling

Australia’s death bowling was woeful in the last three games of the series and it is a major concern heading to the World Cup. Cummins and Starc were missing, while Mitchell Marsh was unavailable to bowl and Cameron Green missed two of the last three games due to concussion. All of those issues meant Marsh was limited in his options as stand-in captain.Agar’s absence was also keenly felt. While he does not bowl at the death, his middle-over skills can help build more pressure on opposition teams heading into the death overs. But even the experienced trio of Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa and Marcus Stoinis were mauled by South Africa’s middle-order in the death overs.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();

The New Zealand left-armer talks about his new ball – the Claw – bowling to lefties, and how his time at Chennai Super Kings will help him in the World Cup

Deivarayan Muthu04-Sep-2023In this age of mystery spin and quick wristspin, there are still some capable fingerspinners who are fighting the tide. Among them, Mitchell Santner stands out for his remarkable control, despite having spent most of his career on the easy-paced bash-through-the-line pitches on small grounds in New Zealand.Mohammad Nabi (4.29), Shakib Al Hasan (4.44) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (4.70) all have better career economy rates than Santner (4.87) in ODI cricket, but they’ve all been bred on spin-friendly tracks in the subcontinent. That Santner is keeping pace with these fingerspinners – and even some wristspinners – is a credit to his defensive skills.So what’s on Santner’s mind when he is at the top of his mark, preparing to bowl to big hitters in ODI cricket?Related

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• Back in fashion: fingerspin's resurgence in ODIs

• Mitchell Santner: 'I watched a lot of Vettori. I thought I'd give it a crack'

• Santner flexes his muscles as New Zealand strengthen their spin stocks

• Santner keeps fingerspin flag flying in the land of wristspin

“I guess in recent times in one-day cricket, everyone is coming out quite hot with the bat,” he says. “We’ve seen some bigger scores, and it can be quite challenging at times for bowling. Our recent [bilateral] series in India was an example of that – where scores were 350-plus, and it makes a massive difference only having four men out vs five [between overs 11-40].”One [extra] guy you’ve got to have up [in the circle] and it’s usually a cow [midwicket] to the right-hander or mid-off to a left-hander. We know that the bowling style isn’t too different between T20 cricket and ODI cricket at the moment. You get a couple of dots, and you know the batsman wants to try some stuff and you try to build the pressure the same way.Santner says the strategy changes depending on the pitch he is bowling on. “You’re going to get a few more dots in one-day cricket, depending upon the surface. But if there’s a little bit there, you can probably be a bit more attacking. If it is a very flat wicket, like it could be in some of the World Cup games [in India], you have to be a bit more defensive and try to get wickets through false shots.”Santner used to be a left-arm seamer until he was about 15. Inspired by Daniel Vettori, he belatedly switched to left-arm fingerspin. When he was 17 or so, he suffered a back injury and he returned to action with a stiff non-bowling arm. The little pause in his bowling action and the effort he puts into reading the batter’s intention have helped him gain an advantage, though he isn’t a big turner of the ball.3:14

Mitchell Santner: ‘We’ve got our fast bowling and spin sorted for the World Cup’

“If you talk to some of the other bowlers, they try to probably look at some spot on the pitch. I try to watch the batter the whole time. The little delay [in my action] helps me if they’re going to charge at me or try something… At times, especially when it’s flat or if I think the batsman is going to do something, I watch him even harder. And at times, if it’s spinning, I might just bowl my best ball – the one that spins – and see what happens.”It has become increasingly difficult for left-arm fingerspinners to operate against left-hand batters in white-ball cricket. Colin Munro, a former New Zealand team-mate of Santner’s and currently a freelancer, recently spoke about playing Bazball-style cricket against left-arm fingerspinners. He talked about how Brendon McCullum, who was a mentor of sorts to him, spoke about picking match-ups. “If the left-arm spinner comes on to a left-hand batter, take him down. Don’t just get ten runs in the over; if you can get 18, it accelerates the game.”These days, even right-hand batters are switching into left-handers to spook left-arm spinners. For instance, in his first full season at Wellington Firebirds, Finn Allen switched his stance and monstered Santner into the grass banks beyond midwicket at the Basin Reserve. Santner says in these situations he tries to watch the batter’s feet and movements even more carefully than usual, and to vary his pace even more.”With the nature of these pitches being flatter and a lot of T20 cricket [being played], people are being very aggressive in ODI cricket. [As a bowler] there are times to attack and there will be times to defend as well, so being able to watch the batter is massive… see when the guy is going to switch [-hit] or run down.”With the lefties, you have to try and vary your pace [more] and maybe bowl a few variations to try to keep it away [from them]. Being a left-hand batter, if a left-arm spinner comes on, I try to take him down as well. So, it’s obviously vice-versa when I’m bowling.”Santner is also planning to use his version of the carrom ball, “the Claw”, to counter left-hand batters on particularly placid pitches in the World Cup. He recently flicked it out during his T20 stint with Worcestershire Rapids in the Blast in England.On bowling with Ish Sodhi: “We have a very good relationship, so we talk about different roles between each of us. If it’s spinning, we could do it [attack] together and at times we might both have to defend, depending upon the conditions”•Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images”I think it’s definitely an option to some left-handers. Something that just goes away from the left-hander has been so effective. I know [R] Ashwin uses it a lot against right-handers as well, so just some variation outside of the natural stuff to keep the batsmen guessing, especially when the pitches are flat.”Santner usually dovetails beautifully with legspinner Ish Sodhi, and their partnership will once again be crucial to New Zealand’s success in India. They combined spectacularly to spin India out for 79 in Nagpur in the T20 World Cup in 2016 and have both grown in stature since. New Zealand also have other options in Rachin Ravindra (another left-arm spinner) and Glenn Phillips (part-time offspinner).”Me and Ish have done it for a very long time,” Santner says. “We have a very good relationship, so we talk about different roles between each of us. It might be on me to tie up one end and he can be more aggressive at the other. If it’s spinning, we could do it [attack] together and at times we might both have to defend, depending upon the conditions.”In New Zealand, you might just go for one spinner every now and then, but in the World Cup in India, you might see at least two.”Michael Bracewell’s injury has stripped New Zealand of batting depth, but Santner’s improved power-hitting could help make up for that. Some of that power was on display when he cracked 64 off 46 balls at No. 3 for Worcestershire against Derbyshire in July.”Yeah, it’s been nice to get some opportunities [to bat up the order]. When you’re playing a lot for New Zealand, you’re kind of coming at the end. With our top order and middle order, we’ve got quite a good line-up, so you don’t get that much opportunity. It’s nice to go back and play for ND [Northern Districts] and get some more batting opportunities and then with Worcestershire. Michael Bracewell got injured, which wasn’t ideal for us, but it was an opportunity for me to go from No. 5 to No. 3, which was nice. Batting in the powerplay is definitely different to batting at the end. The more I can bank those experiences, and have good opportunities with the bat, the better.”Santner has been working on his batting ahead of the World Cup and worked with power-hitter Albie Morkel while playing in MLC in the USA•Dan Mullan/Getty Images”I think we’ve seen in one-day cricket, but especially in T20 cricket, power-hitting at the end of an innings – or even throughout the innings – is so important. We had Albie Morkel [assistant coach] with the Texas Super Kings [in MLC, the US-based T20 league] who was a very good exponent of that in his time. It was nice to work with him for a little bit as well.”More recently, on his Hundred debut for Southern Brave in August, Santner made an immediate impact, taking the new ball and giving away only 20 runs in his four sets, handcuffing Jos Buttler and Phil Salt with his subtle variations.Santner also fronted up to take the newish ball in MLC. He could perhaps do a similar job for New Zealand in their two World Cup games in Chennai, which is also his home base in the IPL.”The nature of playing leagues is, you come up against some of the best players and you’re likely to play them in these World Cups coming up. You get more of an understanding about each person playing and the conditions.”The IPL has been so good for that. You play a lot of games in India on some pretty good pitches – some slightly slower and some that can go through. Having that understanding of what you think batters are going to do and pitches are going to do is a massive one. Adapting on the day might be slightly different and you have to keep your options open when you’re out there.”Santner’s first introduction to the World Cup was through footage of the 1992 edition, when New Zealand bossed their way to the semi-final. Dipak Patel was New Zealand’s trump card at the time with his cagey fingerspin on small grounds with fielding restrictions in place. After that Vettori did that job for New Zealand, and though the landscape of the game has changed vastly since, Santner has taken over and continues to show the way for fingerspinners.

Plight of teams like New Zealand, Australia and Sri Lanka throws spotlight on restrictions

Matt Roller02-Nov-20232:07

Have New Zealand been unlucky?

Picture the scene: two of France’s centre-backs have gone down with niggles, so a third is summoned halfway across the world 48 hours before a vital FIFA World Cup match. “We couldn’t risk being a defender down for Saturday,” explains Didier Deschamps, their manager, while awaiting scan results for his first-choice pairing.The idea seems anachronistic, not least in a sport that allows squads of up to 26 players at its World Cup. Yet it is exactly the situation facing New Zealand at the Cricket World Cup after Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry’s injuries left them with no choice but to fly Kyle Jamieson to Bengaluru as cover for Saturday’s game against Pakistan.Cricket is not football, and the existence of substitutions clearly demands a bigger squad in one than the other. But with several teams in India experiencing an availability crisis – Australia are picking from a squad of 13 against England on Saturday – it is time for the ICC to discuss the 15-man limit on squads at world events.Related

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• Matt Henry joins New Zealand's mounting injury list; Jamieson called in as cover

The issue was not raised internally at the ICC in the build-up to the World Cup but teams can propose a change via the men’s cricket committee – which incidentally, Gary Stead, New Zealand’s coach, sits on – or the chief executives’ committee. It is time they do so, because the current level is needlessly strict.New Zealand have been affected worse than most teams by injuries and left themselves open to the possibility of an availability crisis when they retained Kane Williamson in their squad despite his fractured thumb. But their scramble to find 11 fit players is a direct function of the tight cap on squad numbers.”15 men is not enough,” Steve Harmison said on ESPNcricinfo’s Matchday show. “There’s a lot of teams now having injuries at this time – and they’re all muscle injuries. There’s a lot of muscle injuries because you play, you travel, you play… it’s not easy getting around India for nine games in this space of time.”The overall impact is to damage the quality of the game: players are selected even if they are not fully fit due to the lack of viable alternatives, and teams are forced to rebalance their sides in the event of injury, even if they may not want to. It is a situation that suits nobody.Kane Williamson fractured his thumb against Bangladesh•ICC/GettyThere is a skill in selecting a squad versatile enough to overcome multiple injuries – but players can become unavailable at any time for any reason, as Australia’s absentees this week have shown: if Glenn Maxwell’s freak concussion was avoidable, then Mitchell Marsh’s return home for family reasons was clearly not.Another drawback is that selecting first-choice players who are carrying injuries – as Australia and New Zealand did with Travis Head and Williamson – becomes much more of a gamble than it should be. If the aim is to ensure the best players are involved, an extra two or three spots in a squad would help achieve that.The principal argument against bigger squads is financial. Under current regulations, the ICC funds travel, accommodation and expenses for 15 squad members and eight support staff, with teams left to foot the bill in the event that they wish to bring travelling reserves or additional staff – as many do.For most boards, the additional expenditure is nothing more than a rounding error on their balance sheet, but consider the Netherlands. Their travelling reserves, Noah Croes and Kyle Klein, have flown economy class and shared twin rooms throughout the World Cup, at a combined expense of around €22,000 across six weeks; according to the KNCB, that is more than the total cost of a short ‘A’ team tour to England.In theory, smaller squads should help competitive balance, denying the best teams the opportunity to use their depth. In practice, smaller teams are affected just as badly: Sri Lanka have carried – and paid for – travelling reserves, and have used more players in the tournament than anyone else.The 15-man cap has been constant since the 1999 World Cup despite fundamental changes to the sport and the format. There has been a marked shift in the physical demands on players, the athleticism that 50-over cricket requires and the tournament lasts significantly longer.There is also scope for more flexibility within a seven-week tournament for players to come in and out of squads. If the ICC insist on keeping the cap at 15, there should be reasonable scope for teams to replace players for a set period: if Henry is ruled out for the next week, why shouldn’t Jamieson be able to join the squad as cover for two games?At one stage of their defeat to South Africa on Wednesday, New Zealand only had 11 players fit enough to field; the same could be true for them against Pakistan this weekend. Their plight should be enough to prompt change.

Having missed both the 2020 T20 World Cup and the 2022 ODI World Cup, she has set her sights on the upcoming world tournament

Andrew McGlashan12-Mar-2024Tayla Vlaeminck made her debut for Australia in October 2018. In the five-and-a-half years since she has made just 24 appearances and very little, if any of it, has been down to form. Her run of injuries, and the heartbreak of missing multiple World Cups, would test the belief of anyone.Later this month, she will try again to relaunch her international career having been recalled for Australia’s tour of Bangladesh. It comes shortly after another six months on the sidelines with a shoulder injury picked up in England last year. That followed multiple setbacks with stress fractures of her foot which first forced her out of the 2020 T20 World Cup on home soil with a recurrence then keeping her out of the 2022 ODI World Cup, 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2023 T20 World Cup. And even before she debuted for Australia she had undergone two ACL reconstructions.Ahead of flying out on Saturday, Vlaeminck admitted that while returning to Australia colours was always a motivation, there were times in the depth of her rehab that she wasn’t so much training for herself, as for those putting in the hours in to help her.Related

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“I’ve always had the overarching goal of getting back to play for Australia but at different times over the last few years it has wavered…the motivation has always been different, it hasn’t always been there, I suppose, but this will make it all worth it,” she told ESPNcricinfo.”In the lower moments it’s probably just been the people [around me] to be honest. Even to the extent of rocking up to training some days knowing our S&C [strength and conditioning coach] is so invested the whole time, has put a session together and come in early to get it done. It’s those little things, you want to do the session for them more so than yourself sometimes.”I’ve been really lucky, had a heap of really good people around Victoria who have helped me through. Without that sort of help not sure the motivation would always have been there.”Vlaeminck returned during the WNCL in mid-January, playing five matches in the latter part of Victoria’s campaign where she claimed four wickets. Last week she was part of the Green vs Gold three-day game in Adelaide – the first time she had bowled with a red-ball since the 2019 Ashes.Now, though, the focus returns firmly to the white ball with another T20 World Cup to aim for later in the year. “I want to play in that World Cup, it’s one of things that has kept me going,” she said.Having twice returned from stress fractures of her foot – with the Australian ballet playing a part in her recovery – the latest setback was a different one, although something she knew was lurking around the corner having initially dislocated her left shoulder playing for Victoria in the 2017-18 season and it remained vulnerable to popping out of the joint. During the A tour of England last year, which ran concurrently with the Ashes, it dislocated while bowling and Vlaeminck knew she had to get it properly fixed.”While it was annoying as I’d just come back, and it was another six months [out], it probably wasn’t as hard to deal with knowing that it hadn’t come out of the blue,” she said.Tayla Vlaeminck on her remodelled action: “Hopefully with some more time getting used to the action and the run-up I can get even quicker”•Getty ImagesBefore her latest rehab, Vlaeminck had already done significant work remodeling her action to try and avoid a repeat of the stress fractures in her foot. She remains confident that her pace has not been impacted and believes she is getting back to her peak with more to come.”It’s something I wasn’t so much worried about but considered as I changed my action,” she said. “I want to be on the pitch as much as possible but don’t want to compromise losing 10kph. I’m really confident with where it’s at now, probably a similar level to what it was beforehand. Hopefully with some more time getting used to the action and the run-up I can get even quicker.””It’s is something I’ll have to manage for the rest of my career. When you’ve been bowling a certain way for seven or eight years that’s obviously difficult to change, so making sure it doesn’t slip back into bad habits in the competitive environment of a game. [But] once it gets to game day I don’t think about it too much.”She tries not to get too wrapped up in what other quick bowlers are pushing the speed gun to, although admitted it’s sometimes difficult. “I am quite a competitive person so like to try and bowl as fast as I can…think it [the number of quicks] is really good for the game,” she said. “We’ve got Milly Illingworth at Victoria and it’s always fun when you are stood at square leg watching her run in and that sort of thing always gets me a bit up and about.”The tour of Bangladesh also brings her back together for Australia with close friends Georgia Wareham and Sophie Molineux. The trio watched the 2022 ODI World Cup final together when they were all injured.”I remember that day, probably wasn’t one of the best,” Vlaeminck said. “We’ve been through a lot together, grown up together, and all helped each other along the way. If we all got to play together in Bangladesh it would be pretty special.”For starters, though, being on the plane is enough. “Just want this week to go pretty quickly to be honest. I’ll be happy if I get on the pitch at all. Just getting over there and training with the girls again will be really fun.”

Stats highlights from LSG’s six-wicket victory after chasing down 211 against CSK

Sampath Bandarupalli23-Apr-20242:00

Why did CSK send Jadeja in ahead of Dube?

124* Marcus Stoinis’ score against CSK in Chennai is the highest individual score in a chase in the IPL. He surpassed Paul Valthaty’s 120 not out for Punjab against CSK in Mohali in IPL 2011. Stoinis also went past Virender Sehwag for the highest individual score against CSK in the IPL.211 The target achieved by LSG is the highest successful chase in Chennai, beating the 206 by CSK against RCB in 2012.3 Number of successful 200-plus chases by LSG. Only one team has chased down a higher target against CSK – 219 by Mumbai Indians in IPL 2021.113 Runs needed by LSG in the last eight overs. Only one team had scored more runs in the last eight overs (13-20) of a chase in the IPL – 125 by Mumbai Indians against CSK in IPL 2021.4 Centuries scored by Ruturaj Gaikwad in defeats. Only Chris Gayle has more T20 hundreds in matches his team has lost. Virat Kohli (3), Hashim Amla (2) and Sanju Samson (2) are the other batters with multiple IPL tons in defeats.17 Runs needed by LSG in the last over, the most successfully chased against CSK in the IPL. Delhi Capitals chased 17 in the final over against CSK in 2020.5 Instances of batters from both teams scoring hundreds in an IPL match. All five have come since the start of IPL 2023 and three of them occurred in this season.

Previous away wins in Test cricket have only led to false dawns but perhaps this one could lead to solid gains

Mohammad Isam29-Aug-2024Sport lends itself to miracles, it’s part of why people love it. Bangladesh beating a higher-ranked Test team away from home grabs headlines, but because of their overall inconsistency, they never seem to justify those victories. Their rare wins abroad have always felt like false dawns. Even when they beat New Zealand in 2022, Bangladesh couldn’t follow it up. Not later in the series. Not even later in the year. So when they beat Pakistan by ten wickets in Rawalpindi last weekend, it was déjà vu all over again, as American baseball player and coach Yogi Berra liked to say.Only Bangladesh can stop this cycle from repeating, and in Rawalpindi, as they were outclassing the hosts, there were plenty of signs that it is possible. Their tactics stood out. They had a better understanding of the conditions. They still stuck to their usual way of playing Test cricket – for better or worse – especially against better teams. Start by avoiding defeat. Then look for a draw. Finally once that safety net is secure, push for the win.Rawalpindi followed this method to a tee, but it also included moments where Bangladesh put the opposition on the mat, like in the first session itself. They had Pakistan at 16 for 3, before the home side recovered. There was also a spell of play in their batting innings when Litton Das went after Naseem Shah. That seemed to deflate Pakistan, who, by then, had been on the field for ages and ages.Related

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• Nahid's rise gives Bangladesh a happy selection headache

• Pakistan in a firefight as Bangladesh push for historic series win

Pakistan are under pressure as they confront the possibility of perhaps even losing the series now. Heavy rain could see off the first two days in the second Test, also in Rawalpindi. The forecast improves from there on, but not by much. Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe knows he is in the box seat, but took the high road when asked about it.”We don’t get satisfied or joyful at their [Pakistan’s] misery,” he said. “It is about us, how we want to perform. We get a lot of confidence in the way we stuck to our game plan.”Bangladesh don’t experiment too much with their Test XI. They have two of the best spinners in the world – Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, with the former a genuine allrounder, and the latter being someone who can bat quite well. It allows Bangladesh to have batting till No. 8, and still play with five frontline bowlers.Test teams are always looking for such wealth. Hathurusinghe said they knew that the spinners would come into play in the first Test despite the pitch looking very green at the start of the game, if they could get into the fifth day.”We always wanted to go with that line-up,” he said. “We knew with the heat around, this wicket wasn’t going to be favourable for fast bowlers for all five days. We knew that our spinners are coming into the game, but for that we needed to drag it into the fifth day.”There could, however, be one change in the Bangladesh line-up for the second Test. The pitch, when it came out from under the covers briefly, looked like it had a lot of grass on it. “[Taskin Ahmed] has a very good chance of playing,” Hathurusinghe said, “because of the type of pitch and weather conditions. It is little more favourable for fast bowlers.”While Bangladesh stick to their templated line-up, Pakistan have had to change personnel. There’s a feeling around the Test match that Shaheen Afridi’s demotion to the bench is a result of Bangladesh playing him out quite comfortably.Without gloating, Bangladesh understand that they have the upper hand here. They are not going into Friday’s game with an underdog mentality. They will look for ways to attack Pakistan, but will always be aware that losing is not an option.