Can the Tigers spin it right?

Historically, Bangladesh have been reliant on spin, especially in the longest version. While having spinners bowl the lion's share of the overs in a Test innings is the norm, there have also been instances of the Tigers taking the field with only specialised spinners and no pacers in the bowling attack.

With spin being their major strength, the Tigers have often opted to make pitches fit for purpose -- a trick that worked greatly over the last four years, barring a few mishaps. However, the situation changes overseas. With the pitch offering little or no assistance to spinners, the slower bowlers are then faced with an added challenge of bowling with more precision and guile.

In this regard, spin bowling coach Daniel Vettori will have a chance to justify his generous lucrative contract. While pitches in Sri Lanka are similar to Bangladesh, they do not break up as soon and so variety and changes in pace and flight come into it. Vettori, the former New Zealand left-arm spinner, had a mastery of all these traits.

Bangladesh are scheduled to tour Sri Lanka in October to play three Tests, all of which could take place in Colombo, where traditionally the pitches are flat and slow. The Tigers could well go on the tour with three main spinners -- Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan and Mehedi Hasan Miraz -- with the prospect of premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan joining the squad from the second Test after his ban ends on October 29.

Over the years, Taijul has proved to be one of the most impactful spinners, at times overshadowing even the impact of Shakib -- the best all-rounder and the best spinner in the squad. Taijul's magnificent form in Tests in 2018 saw him scalp 43 wickets – the most by a Bangladeshi in a calendar year. He was also the fourth-highest wicket-taker overall in Tests that year. And with Shakib returning to competitive cricket after more than a year, Taijul -- being the most experienced in the format among the rest -- would definitely need to lead the charge in the spin department.

Youngster Nayeem, who only has five Tests under his belt, was most impressive in the Tigers' most recent Test encounter, against Zimbabwe in February this year. Standing six feet tall, the off-spinner can use his height-- which sets him apart from the other spinners -- to generate extra bounce, troubling and taking the batsmen by surprise at times. Even if the Colombo pitch does not offer much turn, Nayeem's extra bounce could well come in handy for the Tigers. The 19-year-old played a pivotal role in Bangladesh's innings and 106-run win over Zimbabwe, which snapped a six-match losing streak. Against a stronger team and away from home, the team management will certainly want the youngster to pick up from where he had left off before the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Mehedi, who took the world by storm at the start of his career -- providing amazing performances against England and Australia in 2016 and 2017 respectively that led to two of the country's most remarkable wins till date -- has seen a severe plunge in his form. The off-spinner was dropped for the Zimbabwe Test after a series of disappointing performances. A comeback after such a disappointing last few Tests -- scalping just six wickets in four Tests -- would surely be a difficult one for Mehedi but the selectors may still rely on the 22-year-old for his ability to spin the ball comparatively better than the others and his ability to chip in with runs in the lower order.

The one thing that Bangladesh's spin department will definitely be missing, and has been for a while in Test cricket, is the presence and impact of a leg-spinner. Even after the BCB's often ill-conceived attempts -- making inclusion of leg-spinners mandatory for teams in the domestic leagues, for instance -- to find and create new leg-spinners, the dearth in the area remains. And it is unlikely that the selectors would include Aminul Islam -- the only leg-spin option available – as he is yet to make his debut in ODIs.

Considering past trends in Sri Lanka -- usually a place where pitches are batting-friendly -- the selectors would have to select spinners who can bowl according to their specific role and fit into the overall composition of the team. It may be time for selectors to analyse the opposition's strengths and traits more deeply than before and observe how spinners fare during their practice matches in order to pick those best suited to the conditions.

For the spinners themselves, it is imperative that they sit with team management and get a clear idea of their exact roles.