Batsmen execute plan perfectly

The Tigers fans had a lot to shout about throughout the day only to leave at the end of it with a heavy heart. PHOTO: STAR

The need of a turnaround for Bangladesh cricket was quite evident ever since the start of 2014. The year began with the whitewash at the hands of Sri Lanka and things got worse with a thumping defeat against Afghanistan last Saturday.
All that the team management could say was that their plans weren't getting executed. “We are in desperate need of a turnaround,” Mushfiqur Rahim had exclaimed in the press conference prior to the match against Pakistan.

While the team, no doubt, had made their intentions clear before the match, few would have expected the Tigers to perform the way they did in Mirpur yesterday.
Against a side they had posted their highest score of 241 in Bangladesh during the last Asia Cup, the Bangladesh team this team throttled posted their highest ever ODI score.
In a sense, the manner in which Bangladesh batted yesterday could be described as a 'fairytale' return. That each and every plan the Tigers had thought of, got executed, right from the start to the finish is clearly evident from the scorecard.

It began with the second-highest opening stand in Bangladesh's ODI history between Imrul Kayes and Anamul Haque. Both batsmen played with a mix of aggression and sensibility. The only mistake in that entire partnership was when Kayes was dropped of Mohammad Hafeez in the early part of the innings. But apart from that, it was a smooth flow. The main plan was to see off Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez, something that they did with precision.
While both the batsmen paid their respects to the two spinners, they charged against the likes of Mohammad Talha, Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi.  It was something that was quite evident from the bowling scorecard of the Pakistanis in the early part of the game. While Talha, Gul and Afridi had economy rates of above seven, Hafeez and Ajmal's were below three.
The unique aspect of this batting performance was perhaps the fact that the batting plan continued to work despite the fall of wickets. After Kayes was caught behind, it brought Mominul Haque to the crease. The left-handed batsman, who eventually scored a 47-ball 51 regularly pushed the ball into the gaps and ensured that the scoreboard kept ticking. It also took the pressure off Anamul, who went on to score his second century. His fall in the 40th over, brought the ever-dependent Mushfiqur on strike and it was perhaps a blessing in disguise as the captain unleashed a series of drives to up the run-rate.
Mominul's departure in the 45th over only brought more havoc for the Pakistanis as a hungry Shakib Al Hasan came on strike. Shakib and Mushfiqur put on a half-century stand in just 20 balls.
In terms of executing their plans, it was something that worked to precision. The hosts knew that Ajmal would bowl at the death overs and they also knew that two of their most dependable batsmen could handle him the best.
The pair smacked Ajmal all over the park towards the end and it led to him leaking more than 54 runs in his last four overs to spoil his economical figures.
To post the highest total of the Asia Cup against a team that has the best bowling line-up of the competition, goes on to show the potential of the team, that unfortunately hadn't clicked so far in the tournament.
While the performance may not necessarily supersede that of their show in the last Asia Cup, it was a timely knock from the hosts. One only hopes that it provides them a new-found confidence which helps them shed the bad run that has been haunting Mushfiqur and Co ever since the start of this year.