Journalism Without Fear or Favour
It's not about this being the first match. Even if it was the last match, we would be thinking of winning because what we arrived here for is to win, so we will play with the mentality to win. See here, to make the semifinals, we have to win. It's not like we will get some points from elsewhere if we don't win. Against every opponent, the mentality would be to win. If we win then we will go through to the semifinals, otherwise not.
Liton Das of Bangladesh
Bangladesh take on tournament favourites India in their second T20 World Cup Super 8 fixture in Antigua tonight at 8.30pm, Bangladesh Time with their chances of progressing to the semifinals hanging in the balance.
Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side suffered 28 runs defeat against Australia in DLS method in their opening Super 8 fixture.
HIGHLIGHTS
****Bangladesh are yet to win against India in T20 World Cups, having come up against the neighbouring country on four occasions in the mega event.
****The Tigers, however, suffered two close defeats against India in the T20 mega event -- the first being the agonising one-run defeat in Bengaluru in 2016 and the other one was when the two sides last met in the 2022 edition, with Bangladesh falling short by five runs (DLS) despite a quickfire Liton Das fifty.
****Liton's 27-ball 60 in that 2022 T20 World Cup game in Adelaide is the highest and the only fifty by any Bangladesh batter against India in the showpiece event.
****India also hold a clear advantage in overall T20I head-to-head records against Bangladesh, winning 12 of the 13 matches played between the two sides. The only win for Bangladesh came in 2019 in Delhi during a bilateral series.
Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Liton Das could not have asked for a better way to end his century drought in Test cricket during third day of the second Test in Rawalpindi on Sunday (September 1, 2024).
The stylish right-hander's sublime 138-run knock that came from 228 deliveries not only helped his side bounce back from the depths of 26 for six but also epitomized the class of a batsman, who seldom justifies his calibre.
This was Liton's first Test century in 18 innings. His last century came against Sri Lanka in 2022 in Mirpur.
The 29-year-old became the first batter to have scored three centuries as a number 6 or 7 batter after coming in to bat with the team's score below 50 runs, and in this regard, he must thank Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud.
Liton first stitched a 165-run seventh-wicket partnership with Miraz before getting valuable support from tail-ender Hasan Mahmud as the duo added 69 in a 24.5-over ninth-wicket stand.
Liton was also the first Bangladeshi batter to have scored two Test centuries against Pakistan. His first came in 2021 in Chattogram -- also his career's first Test ton.
Liton's innings will be regarded as one of the important knocks in Bangladesh cricket history, given the context of the series where the Tigers are looking to seal their first-ever Test series victory over Pakistan after winning the first Test by 10 wickets.
However, the batter did not label his innings as his personal best.
"This was not my finest knock. I scored 141 against Sri Lanka where the same thing happened," Liton said after day's play.
In a remarkable comeback story, Liton showed true character of a batsmanship.
Bangladesh top order seemed clueless against the Pakistan pair of Khurram Shahzad and Mir Hamza, and at 26 for 6, Bangladesh's lowest Test total of 43 was in danger.
But Miraz and Liton overcame that hurdle and with the sheen off the ball fading, and with Khurram-Hamza pair out of the attack, the two batters dug in and took Bangladesh to lunch without further damage.
Liton innings was a mixture of aggression and composure, defying Pakistan bowling attack after the first session carnage.
Liton went the aggressive route after the break and he came down particularly hard on most successful bowler on the day, Shahzad who eventually picked a six-for, taking him for two fours in three balls in the third over of the session before smashing him for three fours on the bounce in the next.
He reached his fifty with a clip towards deep backward square leg.
Liton than showed sheer calmness after Miraz departed as the Tigers went to tea at 193 for 8.
Liton and Hasan frustrated the Pakistan bowlers for more than two hours and the experienced batter farmed most of the strike as he declined singles and only gave Mahmud a handful of balls to face.
He also overcame severe cramps in the second session before reaching three figures with a delicate dab past backward point.
He finally holed out to Agha Salman at long-on but not before he showcased his great potential.
A show of 'Power' had been missing in 'Powerplays' for Bangladesh in the past editions of the T20 World Cups, as batters have more often than not failed to make use of the field restrictions in the first six overs -- a handicap that has hindered the team's fortunes in the competition.
In the last five editions of the T20 World Cup, the average strike rate of Bangladeshi batters in the Powerplay was 98.33, which means the team has struggled to put 36 runs on the board in the first six overs.
In the 2021 edition in the UAE, for example, Bangladesh's Powerplay run-rate was below six in six out of their eight matches.
Bangladesh's Powerplay strike rate in T20 World Cups since 2012 is the second lowest amongst all Test-playing nations, with Zimbabwe (91.08), who were not part of the 2021 edition and could not qualify for the upcoming edition, occupying the bottom spot.
England, two-time winners, are topping this chart with a Powerplay strike rate of 121.80. West Indies, one of the hosts of the upcoming edition, are near the bottom of this list with a strike rate of 103.53.
However, with their barrage of big hitters lower down the order, two-time champions West Indies can afford to start slow; Bangladesh do not have the same luxury.
The forthcoming edition might not be a run-fest, with pitches expected to provide something for the bowlers as well.
Still, if Bangladesh are to do well, their top order, especially the openers, have to strike the balance between caution and aggression from the start and try not to throw away their wickets while latching onto every opportunity to hit a boundary.
The Tigers have picked three openers for this edition -- two experienced ones with questionable form and one in-form youngster who hasn't been tested against the best in the format.
Liton Das, the only right-hander of the three, will be playing in his third edition this time and averages exactly 20 in 13 innings in T20 World Cups at a strike rate of a shade above 113.
The wicketkeeper-batter hit his lone half-century in the tournament in the last edition, a swashbuckling 60 off 27 balls against India that almost took Bangladesh home in a rain-hit affair.
But this time around, the right-hander is not a sure starter in the eleven as his form is at an all-time low, with his strike rate being below 98 in T20Is so far this year at an average of 13.16.
Still, the selectors kept faith in the experienced batter and coach Chandika Hathurusingha said he is expecting 'big things' from him in the World Cup in a video posted by Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on social media yesterday.
Soumya Sarkar is the most experienced opener in the side in terms of T20 World Cup appearances, having featured in the last three editions and playing 15 matches.
However, his underwhelming strike rate of exactly 100 and paltry average of 13.06 indicate that the left-hander has never quite played to his potential in the tournament.
"I think he has underperformed so far. We have seen glimpses of his best from time to time… When he is at his best, he is a match-winner. I hope he will win a couple of games for us," Hathurisingha said in the same video.
Tanzid Tamim, the youngest of the three, has just five T20Is under his belt, all of which were against Zimbabwe in the recently-concluded series. He finished as the highest run-getter in the series with 160 and looked in much better touch than Liton and Soumya.
If Tanzid opens with Soumya, as they did in the final two T20Is against Zimbabwe, then Bangladesh are likely to send right-hander Towhid Hridoy at No. 3 and push back skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto at No. 4.
While Hridoy has looked in form, albeit a tad inconsistent, Shanto was seen struggling to get a score against Zimbabwe.
The experienced top-order batters not being in form is not a good sign for Bangladesh, but perhaps, there is a risky solution in sight.
Shakib Al Hasan excelled at No. 3 in the latter half of the last BPL, and sending him up the order in that free-flowing role could solve Bangladesh's Powerplay woes, something Shanto said he was open to doing in the final press conference before the team left for the USA.
Given the team's dire straits at the top, perhaps it is time for the management to think out of the box and try something unconventional to jumpstart the proceedings.
Team Powerplay strike rates in last five T20 World Cups
England: 121.80
South Africa: 119.62
Australia: 118.89
Ireland: 116.63
New Zealand: 112.11
Sri Lanka: 111.65
India: 110.39
Afghanistan: 106.22
West Indies: 103.53
Pakistan: 103.41
Bangladesh: 98.33
Zimbabwe: 91.08
Bangladesh turned a nightmare start to the third day into one that could weave a new dream in their second Test against Pakistan yesterday, and Liton Das and Mehedi Hasan Miraz were the architects of a comeback story for the ages.
The pace duo of Mir Hamza and Khurram Shahzad had breathed life into the hosts' chances of squaring the series -- with the opening day's play getting washed out -- as Bangladesh's top order crumbled in quick succession. The visitors were 26 for six, and the new ball had kept talking.
In that situation, the innings could have folded in a few overs. Liton, who scored a magnificent 138 -- his fourth Test century -- demonstrated the shrewdness of his game during two immense partnerships: first with Miraz and then with an unlikely Hasan Mahmud.
Heavily criticised for his approach this year, particularly for his dismissal while dancing down the track in his first delivery against Sri Lanka recently, Liton saw the situation as an opportunity.
"Obviously, I was a bit nervous at that time. I never thought I would have to bat before drinks. When Miraz and I batted, we discussed that they had the momentum, so we needed to take our time. It was an opportunity for me and Miraz as well, and I took it positively," Liton said at the post-day press conference.
For Liton, the mark of a big player is in seizing such opportunities when the team is at a disadvantage.
"I knew that we were on the back foot, but there was an opportunity, and if you are a big player, you have to cash in," he added.
But the key for Liton was controlling Pakistan's momentum. Liton was content to play second fiddle for a while and did so through an injury after being hit on the hands and cramps induced by the Rawalpindi temperatures.
Crucially, the partnership with Hasan Mahmud lasted about two hours, adding 69 valuable runs after Miraz had departed following a 165-run stand, and the two wickets from Hasan at the end of the day made it the Tigers' day.
"We win as a team, we lose as a team," is a cliche that members of the Bangladesh team often resort to while reading out from their age-old scripts, explaining disappointing losses.
If that is indeed the case then the team management spearheaded by head coach Chandika Hathurusingha should be taking a share of the blame for Bangladesh's plight. The Tigers hit a new low when they lost a T20 World Cup build-up series against the USA -- an associate nation ranked 10 places below the Tigers.
While the fact remains that the kind of cricket the current Bangladesh side has been playing in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup can be deemed abhorrent and at times inexplicable, Hathurusingha's role in the mess could also be brought into question.
When so much credit is given to the coaches when the Tigers are on a good run, why should they evade criticism when the same side fails to show signs of life?
Renowned coach Mohammad Salahuddin, in an interview with The Daily Star, pointed out that the coach has little to do when the team does well but when things go south, the coach has to take responsibility and work his expertise to nurture the players, solve the puzzle to pull them out of a slump.
More than a year into his contract, Hathurusingha has seen both sides of the coin. In 2023, Bangladesh whitewashed 2022 T20 World Cup champions England, and Afghanistan, won a series against Ireland at home and claimed their maiden T20I win over New Zealand in the BlackCaps' backyard. But less than a year since enjoying their best ever run in the shortest format, the Tigers spiralled down to their lowest point, displaying a severe lack of continuity.
Shouldn't the coach be held accountable for a lack of foresight that saw Bangladesh back to square one?
When Hathurusingha was re-appointed to the head coach role last year, it was expected that the Sri Lankan, who has been known for his authoritative style of management, would be able to restore stability and architect great wonders for Bangladesh.
Instead, it is during his reign that the frosty relationship between Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal came to the fore like never before, disrupting the harmony of the side in all formats. The fallout between Tamim and Shakib is nothing new in the Bangladesh cricketing fraternity and was bound to be laid bare in public at some point – preferably after they had ended their careers -- shouldn't Hathurusingha take some blame for not being able to manage two of the greatest egos in the country's cricket?
Heading into another major event, this time the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, things look a lot bleaker for the men in red and green.
A pivotal figure of the team, mainly responsible for designing game plans and 'man-managing', Hathurusingha could also be blamed for failing to set the tone of the type of cricket the Tigers played in successive series against feeble Zimbabwe and USA.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has opted for far more drastic steps while changing the management – including the sacking of coaches at times. But when it comes to Hathurusingha, the board seems reluctant to demand accountability.
Is it that the BCB is deliberately not pointing fingers at Hathurusingha as it would eventually bring the board in the firing line?
It can be argued that the 54-year-old Sri Lankan has struggled to impact improvements in players and often to bring out the best in them. Sure, it is a player's fundamental duty to be concerned about upgrading himself but that aspect also has to be complemented with the guidance of the coaches.
In Hathurusingha's second stint, he has backed the likes of Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar almost unconditionally, but only to see the duo disappoint time and again.
Particularly, in Liton's case, could it not be said that his continuation in underperforming was aggravated only because the Hathurusingha-led team management failed to realise when to drop the classy right-hander and when to have him return to the national side?
The argument from the team management has always been that Liton is "just one innings away from regaining his form" as if he would be able to just go out there and magically get his head sorted enough and not throw his wicket away by playing three successive scoops like he did against Zimbabwe.
When defining a coach's role or considering his impact, Hathurusingha's shortcomings in extracting the best out of his players are in stark contrast to what former fast-bowling coach Otis Gibson and Allan Donald did to produce Bangladesh's best-ever pace unit.
Unfortunately, in this regard, Hathurusingha's efforts are yet to be reflected through his team.
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