Can Bangladesh bat out the whole day? That was the biggest question after Bangladesh finished the fourth day’s play without any casualty, but there is a prevalent doubt about whether the hosts can pull it off after the way they have thrown their wickets away so far in this series.
But the home team has got a chance to make their Test record a bit healthier if the batsmen can put their heads down, as said by the chief selector and former national skipper Faruque Ahmed after the day’s play.
It may be a daydream to chase down 455 further runs on the final day but it’s not at all impossible to share honours.
Opener Tamim Iqbal remained not out and can amend his poor showing in the series by playing sensibly. The left-hander had a knock in the side net soon after returning from the middle and the way he knocked with the straight bat and asked assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin whether his only pull was perfect told of a thoughtful approach and should be the approach in the middle today.
Faruque was not quite sure about whether it would be possible for the home side to bat the whole day for a creditable draw. “It would be a tough task to pull off a draw.
But the pitch still looked good for batting and if we can make sure that we do not throw away wickets and rather make them take the wicket then it’s possible. We have to play with a cool head and be careful about shot selection.”
Was there any problem with the understanding of the team mantra of ‘positive’ cricket? “I am not sure but I felt that we must redefine the meaning of positive cricket.No way can you throw away your wicket.”
Coach Shane Jurgensen however said: “The exact word is intent. On this wicket, you can’t block and survive and at the same time, look to hit balls that are on a length on middle-stump. If it gets difficult, we have to get through those. As a batting group, get down the other end,”
The Australian made it clear that his batsmen have to play with patience if they want to bat the whole day. “We need to be patient and bat the whole day. We have to learn from two greats (Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene), and we have to do it.
We have a young team, and we don’t do it consistently enough. Be patient, rotate the strike and do the basics well,” said Jurgensen, adding that they have done it in the first innings when they batted for a day and a bit.
Bangladesh however would hope that the poor umpiring will not continue.
“I think there is no doubt that some decisions haven’t gone our way. It is a bit disappointing.
We need to look forward, have some sort of a plan to come around it. I have seen it for two and a half years now. Unfortunately, things don’t go our way.”
While decisions are out of the team’s control, the bottom line is that the coach would not want to see his batsmen play a shot like Nasir Hossain did to get out in the first innings, although the decision itself was questionable.
News Source : the daily star
