Test drawn, but BCB sore losers

Debutant left-arm spinner Elias Sunny (C) shows the ball to the crowd after his seven-wicket haul in the first Test against West Indies at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong yesterday. Sunny's feat earned him the man-of-the-match award in the match that ended in a draw. PHOTO: ANURUP KANTI DAS

The drawn first Test between Bangladesh and West Indies have posed the inevitable question of “what could have been” had the game's governing body in the country been progressive.
In the 254.4 overs played in three days, the Tigers were in firm control as the visitors found batting against spin a tough proposition. Their first innings ended at 244 and after the home side declared at 119-3 in the second dig, West Indies meandered to 100-2 till both sides pulled the plug an hour before the scheduled close. The game was in no position to yield a result with the Tigers pushing for an improbable win, needing eight wickets.
But what defeated the Tigers was the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) who, for the second Test in a row, have played a furtive role in the outcome of a Test match. In the only other Test match this year, the Tigers looked undercooked against Zimbabwe, going into the format after a 14-month gap, thanks to the BCB's decision to postpone the Test series against New Zealand last year with the explanation that playing Tests ahead of a one-day World Cup would be harmful for preparation. At the Harare Sports Club, the Tigers were duly beaten.
This time too, it is the BCB, and not the rain, which is responsible for the missed chance. The Test in Chittagong lost two days (second and third) due to an outfield that doesn't drain out the water. The blame game, or the lack of it, is typical but the lack of a solution is the real cause of frustration.
Players are produced and matches are won by Bangladesh despite the system, it has once again been established. The prime example during this game was Elias Sunny, who ended the Test match with a man-of-the-match award after seven wickets in the game. In the process, he became only the third Bangladeshi debutant after Javed Omar and Mohammad Ashraful to receive the award.
Sunny completed his five-for early in the day when he forced Marlon Samuels into a drive, the batsman caught at cover for 24. Carlton Baugh and Darren Sammy hurried through with a 60-run seventh wicket stand with the skipper hitting his maiden Test fifty.
Sammy hammered two sixes and eight boundaries in his 43-ball 58, earning a life when Tamim Iqbal dropped him at long-off (one of two dropped chances). Shakib wrapped it up with three wickets, giving the Tigers a lead of 106 runs.
But their addition to the lead was at a snail's pace (2.83 per over) for 42 overs. In their defense, it was the spiky nature of the wicket that slowed their progress and a few minutes after Shahriar Nafees fell on 50, Mushfiqur called the batsmen back.
Sunny added one more wicket to his kitty but 37 overs was too little time to bowl out a side with four front-line bowlers.
It is an occasion to praise the Tigers but at the same time, it would be unwise to forget how the BCB has once again shot itself in the foot.