Good starts the key

Tamim Iqbal practises his short-arm jab as he looks to drive the Tigers to victory again today. Photo: STAR

The key to Bangladesh's victory over the West Indies in the first ODI at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium on Friday was that the team started excellently in both bowling and batting departments, and the heartening aspect was that they kept the momentum going throughout each innings. Mashrafe Bin Mortaza and Abul Hasan kept West Indies opener Chris Gayle and Lendl Simmons relatively quiet so that the rest of the team tried to attack the Tigers' strong suit -- their spinners.
Speaking to the media on the day before the second ODI set to be played here today Mashrafe seemed neither surprised nor overjoyed at the Tigers' result as he knew that the challenge was not complete. A signifier of the changing Bangladesh cricketer was that even after such a comprehensive win the fast bowler, unprompted, talked about the areas Bangladesh can improve.
“I would say that in the match we won yesterday, we can improve our bowling a bit. In the batting too I think we can improve a little -- we could have won the match more comfortably. I am not talking about the overs left, but it would have been better if the batsmen scored bigger, those who got out after being set,” said the Narail fast bowler who had tidy figures of 39 for one from nine overs. “But overall, it is very important to start a series with a win, against any team. So that is something to be happy about.”
Mashrafe was also of the opinion that it is very important to start well, especially against a team with as many explosive batsmen as West Indies, who apart from the feared Chris Gayle have other batsmen who can belt the cover off the ball. “Gayle plays a type of cricket in which he charges, then stays quiet for a while and then again charges. Most of their players play big shots. Personally I feel that when they play shots they play too many shots,” thought Mashrafe. While stressing on the need for bowlers to start well, he pointed out a weakness that before the ODI series started not many had considered.
“Yesterday when wickets were falling, they kept playing shots and getting out. So I think that the advantage with taking early wickets is that even under pressure they will hit out. So if wickets keep falling the pressure will build up, like yesterday. The alternative to taking wickets is keeping the runs in check early and create an advantage for the spinners. If we can get a wicket or two then the spinners' position will be even stronger. So if we bowl first that will be our target.”
Bangladesh's star performer over the last five years, Shakib Al Hasan will miss the five-match series through injury. It was heartening that Bangladesh could pull off a win against a stronger side with such a disadvantage. Mashrafe however does not see his absence as a negative. “I think playing the series without Shakib is very good for our team. People can take it either positively or negatively. I am taking it positively because every player should feel what their role is. If we keep expecting performances from Shakib our team will never improve. Every player has to perform.
“If you look at the matches we have won, while Shakib has performed extraordinarily in them, you will see that someone else had a fifty. In these matches if the players will feel this more, that the fifty Shakib would have scored now has to be scored by one of them, then I think it is important for the team.”