A lion among Tigers

You may not like his defensive captaincy; you may not rate him as a very good wicketkeeper but you simply cannot help but love and admire him for his unquestionable commitment to the cause of the team.

The little Bangladesh Test captain Mushfiqur Rahim is the epitome of a true warrior. He came out to bat when any other professional would have preferred to avoid the crease considering the risk factor of aggravating a fractured thumb. He battled against those countless short-pitched deliveries in a desperate attempt to bail his team out of danger on the fifth morning of the opening Test against New Zealand at Basin Reserve yesterday. He took a few painful blows on his injured left thumb while tackling the short stuff, especially from Neil Wagner, who was well aware of the Achilles Heel and was exploiting it ruthlessly.

But Mushfiqur stood firm until he was struck by a bouncer from Tim Southee on the helmet. He fell on the ground and received treatment from paramedics for about 15 minutes before being taken to the hospital for further assessment. He had a mild concussion and this is something which takes three to four weeks to recover from. But while at the hospital Mushfiqur, who suffered a blow to his neck, desired to return to the field and resume batting. He wanted a quick release from the hospital after an X-ray on his neck came out fine.

He returned straight to the ground from hospital only to find his team in tatters. And more importantly most of the batsmen were out playing rash shots. He scored 13 off 53 balls and while he was at the crease his application was exemplary. There was only one delivery he negotiated unconvincingly to short square leg. But apart from that he was not only playing well but also guiding the team to safety. And had his application been replicated by some of his key team members, Bangladesh could have easily avoided this embarrassing defeat.

Opener Imrul Kayes also deserve plaudits for limping onto the ground and put a price tag on his wicket. Mushfiqur was desperately missed in the limited-overs series. His return in the first Test not only brought back that stability but also played a key role in Bangladesh's imposing first-innings total of 595 for eight declared, where his contribution was 159. Bangladesh need more of Mushfiqur and less of glory-hunters if they are to avoid such heart-stopping defeats.