MOMENTS

Bangladesh advanced into the semifinals of the SAFF U-20 Championship with a 2-0 win over Sri Lanka in first Group A match at ANFA Complex in Nepal today. 

Three-time runners-up Bangladesh took the lead in the first-half with a tap-in from forward Mirajul Islam before substitute Piash Ahmed Nova sealed the victory with the second five minutes from full-time.

Sri Lanka came into the match with a must-win situation following a 1-0 defeat against Nepal in their first match and a second loss paved the way for a group-stage exit as Bangladesh and Nepal advanced to the last four. Bangladesh and Nepal will, however, face each other in the last fixture of the group on August 22 at the same venue which will determine the group winner and runner-up.

Bangladesh, with the strength of experienced players from the Bangladesh Premier League, dominated most of the proceedings and took a deserved lead in the 17th minute but since then faced a bit of pressure from Sri Lanka, who squandered two good chances in the first 45 minutes. However, Bangladesh thwarted the pressure in the second half with three changes and sealed the victory with the second goal.

In Bangladesh, cricket is not just a sport, but rather a spirit. It is something that connects every household, every community, and is a language every Bangladeshi knows how to speak. It is one thing that has the power to keep millions of viewers glued to their screens and feel the surge of adrenaline rush at the same time.

And with Bangladesh making waves in cricket and creating moments that will forever be etched in our hearts and memoires, here are the top five most memorable moments of Bangladesh cricket.

Qualifying for the 1999 World Cup and winning ICC Trophy 1997

Albeit having played their first international game in the 1980s, Bangladesh had to wait for their World Cup qualification for over a decade. After making it to the final of the ICC Trophy 1997, Bangladesh secured a spot in the 1999 World Cup. The semi-final against the Netherlands where Akram Khan's heroic performance left the entire nation in joyful tears.

It was a difficult match to watch as Bangladesh initially lost four wickets with only 14 runs, adding to this was a very unfavourable rainy weather. However, the situation took an impressive turn when, towards the final over, the target was achieved and Bangladesh won the match, qualifying themselves for the 1999 World Cup.

Beating Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup

Another momentous glory was when Bangladesh beat Pakistan during the 1999 World Cup. That year, the Tigers were led by the legendary Akram Khan, where the team ended up beating Pakistan by 62 runs, vastly owing to the team effort by Shahriar Hossain and captain Akram Khan, eventually having the Pakistan Team all out by 161 runs.

It was an unbelievable sight to witness, when even before recapping the last wicket and making the final verdict, the crowd was on the ground cheering for Bangladesh! This victory felt like winning beyond cricket and gave Bangladeshis all over the country the true taste of joy. 

The Banglawash

Who does not remember the unforgettable Banglawash in 2010? This series between Bangladesh and New Zealand will always be known and remembered among the Bangladesh cricket fraternity as "Banglawash" as it was a series where Bangladesh clean swept the opponent, winning all matches.

After winning the One Day International series, Bangladesh continued to win the rest of the matches, and this victory remains as one of the greatest achievements for Bangladesh cricket to this day. It was also the series where Rubel Hossain made a mark in the international scene and Bangladesh discovered a gem of a bowler.

Photo: ACC

Bangladesh women cricket win Asia Cup

Bangladesh cricket truly is an example of how cricket brings a nation together, undivided by gender. During the Asia Cup 2018, Bangladesh Women's Cricket Team celebrated massive victory as they defeated India in the final, enabling Bangladesh to achieve its maiden trophy in a multi-team tournament.

The match neared an intense end in the last over where nine runs were required, with Rumana Ahmed and Sanjida Islam batting. In an unprecedented turn of events, with fours and a wicket, the match ended with Jahanara Alam securing the final run. This was a massive and memorable win for the Bangladesh Women's Cricket Team.

Bangladesh losing to Pakistan in Asia Cup 2012    

Not all memorable moments of cricket are associated with winning a match — sometimes the memory of a loss in the field, especially in our own land stays reserved within our hearts for years. Such was the case in Asia Cup 2012, when Bangladesh needed only 9 runs in the last over to win against Pakistan in the final round.

The match took an intense nail-biting finish by the time of the final delivery when Bangladesh was short of four runs. Being so close to claiming the cup and what seemed like an inevitable victory for Bangladesh throughout their batsmanship quickly turned into defeat as Pakistan ended up winning by two runs. Although Bangladesh did not win the match that time, the Tigers won the hearts of the nation. 

Bangladesh opener Zakir Hasan admitted that his side suffered a comprehensive failure in the batting department but did mention the wind playing a part in the Tigers' dismissals on Day 3 of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Chattogram on Monday.  

The Tigers dished out another abysmal effort with the bat as they were bundled out for 178 in reply to Sri Lanka's 531-run first-innings total. The hosts started the third day at 55 for the loss of one and lost nine wickets while adding just 123 runs as they were skittled out in the post-Lunch session. 

"We totally failed with the bat. We couldn't bat to our potential or perform our roles. We couldn't play as we were supposed to play," Zakir said after the day's play. 

"We couldn't even execute our first plan. Other plans come later. We couldn't do our basic job. We have to execute our first plan as a batting unit.

"I think the wind played a part in our wickets falling today. Everything else was okay, especially in terms of the wicket. We should have batted much better."

Zakir's knock was the only highlight in Bangladesh's sorry scorecard as the left-handed batter put away eight fours for a 54-run knock -- his fourth fifty in the format – but fell prey to yet another angled in delivery from left-arm pacer Vishwa Fernando. Zakir was left bemused at how much the delivery decked in to castle him but his lack of foot movement in trying to negate such deliveries caught the eyes again.

It has been a consistent weakness for Zakir as he was dismissed in similar fashion when he was trapped lbw by Fernando in the first innings of the previous Test in Sylhet. He got stuck in the crease and could do little to fend off a ball which tailed in on the stumps. In the second innings, it was Lahiru Kumara who exposed Zakir's limited foot movement to dismiss him. 

Zakir, however, put the blame on his shot selection. The 26-year-old has scored a century and all of his four fifties in the second innings of those particular matches and would hope to better his knock as the Tigers, owing to Sri Lanka's already 455-run lead, will have to chase down a record total to win the match.   

"I can't speak for others. Maybe a coaching staff can tell you. In my case, I think I should be more careful with my shot selection. I am not giving an excuse. One has to be prepared coming into a Test match. I think we should grow this mentality on our side," he told reporters. 

"All departments have to fire to win a Test match. I think batting is the most important of all. We can't defend a total if we can't put anything on the scoreboard. We need to have a decent score when we want to take 20 wickets. We haven't been able to do it. We are discussing how to get better, but we are somehow failing altogether," he added.

Batting will be at the forefront of Bangladesh's agenda after consecutive underwhelming efforts going into their T20 World Cup Group D fixture against the Netherlands at the Arnos Vale Stadium in Kingstown today.

Bangladesh almost made a meal of their 124-run chase against Sri Lanka in their two-wicket win in Dallas and were on the wrong end of the results, falling short by four runs, when they had to chase 113 against South Africa in their second match in New York.

While the bowlers delivered excellent efforts in both matches, the batters, with the exception of in-form Towhid Hridoy, have largely misfired and failed to pull their weight.

Hridoy, Bangladesh's top run-getter with 77, played a match-winning 20-ball 40 against the Lankans and followed it up with a vigilant 34-ball 37. He is the only batter to have an average strike-rate greater than 100 so far for the Tigers and has batted at more than a run-a-ball in both matches.

The top-order continues to be one of the major headaches for the Tigers, more so because it includes skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto, who hasn't been able to snap out of his miserable run, averaging 14.2 in his last 10 innings at a strike-rate of 86.1.

With the pitches in Dallas and New York being significant limiting factors in batting, the move away from the USA could not have come at a better time for Bangladesh batters who will hope that the surfaces in the West Indies will allow them to bat with more freedom.

The Tigers will also take confidence from the fact that they have gone through the most difficult phase in the group with minimal damage as they have a win and a loss against relatively superior sides (Sri Lanka and South Africa) and have Netherlands and Nepal, both of whom are lower down in the rankings, up next.

A win against the Netherlands will put Bangladesh in a favourable position as far as qualification to the Super 8s is concerned as it will allow the Tigers to have progression to the next round in their own hands. With Sri Lanka and Nepal on one point each, Bangladesh, who have two, have the Netherlands as key competition for qualification.