Tigers keep up the momentum

West Indies bowlers Veerasammy Permaul (L) and Ravi Rampaul walk out of Hotel Sonargoan to set off for West Indies yesterday, ending their month-long tour of Bangladesh.Photo: STAR

The Bangladesh cricket team ended their year with a series against the West Indies that can justifiably be called a fruitful one. Not many gave the Tigers much of a chance against a West Indies side that had recently regained the services of explosive opener Chris Gayle, whitewashed New Zealand in a home Test series and won the ICC World Twenty20. The highlight of Bangladesh's campaign against the men from the Caribbean was their 3-2 ODI series victory, but there were positives to take from the Test series that preceded it and the lone T20I that followed.
Bangladesh entered the Tests against the West Indies after not having played the format for 11 months. Apart from two National Cricket League (NCL) games leading into the first Test on November 13 in Dhaka, the Tigers had not played the longer form of the game for the best part of a year. That they scored 556, their highest Test total, in the first innings was indicative of the talent and fortitude they possess. Naeem Islam hit his maiden Test ton while Shakib Al Hasan and Nasir Hossain missed theirs by 11 and four runs respectively.
More than the total on board, what was heartening was the fact that the batsmen were eager to spend time in the middle as Bangladesh played out 148.3 overs -- a monumental achievement considering that they had spent most of the previous five months playing twenty-overs cricket. Their inexperience in Test cricket caught up with them in the next innings as they looked completely unable to pace a chase of 245, falling short by 77 runs on the final day.
The next Test in Khulna too saw some individual brilliance from the Tigers, with debutant fast bowler Abul Hasan scoring a century from number ten to save Bangladesh's blushes after they slumped to 192 for eight. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who scored 203 in Mirpur, hit 150 here but the show was stolen by a marathon 260 from the attractive Marlon Samuels as West Indies racked up 648 to set up a 10-wicket win.
Bangladesh's performance in the Tests is not fairly reflected by the 2-0 result. They gave enough signs of progress, hinting at becoming a competitive side sooner rather than later. Off-spinner Shohag Gazi's nine wickets in his debut Test, the Tigers' highest Test score, that they took both Tests into the fifth day and ended three out of the five days of the first Test on top were all positive signs.
They currently seem a side just a step or two short of real competence in Test cricket. Two of the things they will have to look at is maintaining a consistent level of performance all through the five days, and becoming more incisive as a bowling unit. In both these regards the Bangladesh Cricket Board can help by strengthening the domestic first-class structure to make players more longer-version savvy.
If the Tests were a mixed blessing, there was no ambiguity in the joy the home team provided in the ODI series. This was the format in which West Indies were supposed to flex their muscles. With four debutants and without Shakib Al Hasan Bangladesh supposedly did not have a prayer against the likes of Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine. By the time the teams came back to Dhaka after the first two ODIs in Khulna, that notion was dispelled.
The Tigers reprised their Asia Cup discipline and spirit to win the two games by seven wickets and a Bangladesh record 160 runs. The victories owed to the Tigers keeping their heads under pressure, sticking to their lines and lengths even when the big-hitting West Indians went after the bowlers. Only in the fourth match did they look out of their depth, stumbling to 13 for five before being all out for 136 to lose by 75 runs. But that fighting spirit was again on display when they arrested the West Indian momentum to win the series deciding fifth ODI, that too after being 30 for three in chase of 218.
In a side without Shakib and with Tamim Iqbal not showing up with the bat except in the first game, Bangladesh showed their depth in quality as at different times youngsters put up their hands to chime in with crucial contributions -- Anamul Haque's century in the second match, Mominul Haque's 25 under severe pressure in the decider and Shohag's consistent show with the ball throughout the series. It was a complete team performance as the older hands Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, captain Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah Riyad made match-turning contributions.
Even in the 18-run loss in the tour-closing T20I, Bangladesh were not disgraced as they lost only one wicket in the chase of a mammoth 198. It was more a case of West Indies playing better than Bangladesh playing worse.
There are still problems -- some dropped catches turned the game in favour of the West Indies in the fourth ODI which also saw the Tigers' frailties against genuine pace and swing bowling resurface. But it was a tour that carried on from the Asia Cup in March in strengthening the notion that Bangla-desh are an improving side, and will keep improving the more they play. In case of Test cricket, one hopes that the BCB pays special attention in that regard.