Mushfiqur lauds Riyad’s intent, Shanto’s mentality

Bangladesh neither started well with the ball nor began well with the bat but came up with the right modus operandi during the crucial junctures of the game to pick up a comfortable six-wicket win in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Chattogram yesterday.

Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto was the star of the show with a career-best score, holding the innings together but Mushfiqur Rahim, with an unbeaten 73, was not far behind. And neither was the impact left by Mahmudullah Riyad in the chase.

Shanto and Mushfiqur's unbroken 165-run partnership off 175 deliveries saw Bangladesh coast to victory but Mushfiqur heaped praise on the way Mahmudullah impacted the chase after the Tigers had slumped to three for 23.

"Our partnership was obviously good but ultimately the main partnership was from Riyad bhai and Shanto. The ball was new at that time and the dew did not start to affect the match. There was seam movement and they got early wickets. Riyad bhai and Shanto batted tremendously. The run-rate was manageable [after that]. We were never behind and did not need to do anything fancy," Mushfiqur said at the post-match press conference.

Shanto's 62-ball 69 fourth-wicket stand with Mahmudullah, who scored a run-a-ball 37, brought things under control before Mushfiqur and Shanto's unwavering and calculative partnership saw them home.

"It's called experience. He [Mahmudullah] danced down the track to [Wanindu] Hasaranga and hit a six. In such crucial moments when such things go for you, the bowling team thinks differently as best bowler is getting hit and those are the times that partnership builds. Shanto struggled a little early but it's a game of partnerships. In this game the first credit goes to their partnership. Foremost its Riyad bhai's because of the intent," Mushfiqur said.

Shanto had only recently been appointed as the three-format skipper and yesterday played the captain's knock during the unbeaten 122 off 129 deliveries, laced with 13 fours and two sixes.

Unable to break a trend of low scores in the recently-concluded BPL, Mushfiqur felt that players like Shanto need that responsibility to get the best out of themselves.
"When there is more responsibility on a person and he thinks about everything, I feel that some people play their best game in those situations. He is a guy of that kind of mentality that when he gets responsibility, he takes it as a challenge and overcomes it. I was personally confident that when he comes to the national team, he will start scoring runs from then on," the wicketkeeper-batter said.

Shanto capitalised on anything loose, with one top-edge going for six the only blip in his knock. Mushfiqur Rahim was all smiles after the skipper got to his ton, patting his head.
"Shanto is more fluent [than this] and dominates more. There is more to go. What changed is previously he would get a good start and score fifties or sixties but now he is playing big knocks, making the team win. Today after getting the ton, the way he just pushed a single to mid-on next delivery shows how much he is thinking of the team. During the important moments, he was saying that we need to get 20-30 contributions so that there is no chance," he added.