Monkey off their backs

Six years ago in the final of the Asia Cup in Mirpur, Bangladesh required nine runs from the last over against Pakistan, but Mahmudullah Riyad found himself stranded at the wrong end of the crease and could only watch as the Tigers fell to a heart-breaking two-run defeat.

Four years later, in an ICC World T20 Super 10 group match against India in Bangalore, Bangladesh again required nine runs from six balls. Mahmudullah took a single from the first ball before Mushfiqur Rahim struck back-to-back boundaries off Hardik Pandya and burst into an early, ill-advised celebration before Bangladesh went on to lose their remaining three wickets off the last three balls to succumb to another heart-breaking one-run defeat.

Over the two years since that one-run defeat, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah were often criticised for playing those needless big shots. So then it could be described as poetic justice that both Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur went on to single-handedly guide Bangladesh to victories in their two triumphs against Sri Lanka in the ongoing Nidahas Trophy.

The brothers-in-law and in-arms took Bangladesh to two of the most dramatic victories not just in the shortest format of the game, but in the history of Bangladesh cricket.

It was first Mushfiqur's turn to compensate for the mistakes of Bangalore and the wicketkeeper-batsman played the best innings of his T20 career, but this time he did not even celebrate after levelling the scores. It was only after he had flicked Thisara Perera towards mid-wicket to complete Bangladesh's record 215-run chase that he finally celebrated, that too with aplomb -- a big scream right in the face of the bowler was followed by the diminutive batsman bursting into the now famous Nagin Dance.

The dominant feature of that 35-ball 72 was the responsibility that Mushfiqur took upon his shoulders. The former Test captain scored 18 of the 19 runs required by Bangladesh from the last 12 balls, refusing to leave the job for the batsman at the other end.

Absolution was awaiting Mahmudullah too and the calmest personality in the Bangladesh team delivered when it mattered most. Despite the no-ball incident in the final over which saw nearly every member of the Bangladesh team lose their head, Mahmudullah kept his cool.

After all that chaos, Bangladesh were left needing 12 runs off the last four balls and Mahmudullah first struck an incredible one-footed boundary off Isuru Udana before taking a double and finishing the game off in style with a six.

It was another case of compensating for the nightmare in Bangalore. When Mahmudullah, who scored an unbeaten 18-ball 43, walked in, the Tigers required 51 to win. Shakib Al Hasan's dismissal left Bangladesh needing 23 runs and Mahmudullah announced himself as the perfect finisher by scoring all 23 of those runs by himself to lift Bangladesh into the final of the Nidahas Trophy.

There is a saying that you only learn from your mistakes and both Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah seem to have followed that path to redemption.