Collective approach ahead of individual heroics
Bangladesh batting consultant Neil McKenzie was engaged in the nets with Mohammad Mithun yesterday at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, where he advised the wicketkeeper-batsman to angle his shoulder downwards while going for a drive.
Mithun had previously tempted fate against Zimbabwe in the first of three ODIs as he was unable to adjust to the slowness of the Mirpur pitch. He played a chip far from his reach to leg-spinner Brandon Mavuta which luckily fell short of the cover fielder.
However, the 27-year-old was once again dismissed despite getting set after scoring 37 and was among five of the top seven Bangladesh batsmen who were caught behind on Sunday.
The aforementioned adjustment is among the small alterations which Mithun has failed to make since the recent Asia Cup in the UAE, where individual heroics overshadowed the lack of a collective approach from the batsmen.
Whether it was Mushfiqur Rahim's 144-run knock against Sri Lanka in the opening match of the Asia Cup, his 99-run knock against Pakistan, the brilliant hundred from Liton Das in the final against India and last but not least Imrul Kayes's career-best 144 against Zimbabwe on Sunday; Bangladesh have recently been banking on individual heroics.
Kayes's best effort was also buoyed by youngster Mohammad Saifuddin's maiden half-century as the pair added a record 127-run seventh-wicket stand that took the Tigers to 271 for eight from a perilous 139 for six.
"You have to think both ways and I am happy that Saifuddin scored runs. You also have to look at those positions [moments of heroism], but I have previously said that those are not ideal situations. At the same time if those situations do not occur then their [the team's] confidence will not increase," Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza told reporters in Chattogram yesterday.
"Our lower-middle order was exposed but we were able to overcome that this time, which will help the team go further. If you expect Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah [Riyad] to do the job and then they fail on the big stage, the team will be down."
Despite the heroics in the last seven games, which include consecutive centuries from openers in the previous two games, another alarming trend that has become a regular feature for Bangladesh is losing three or more wickets in a short span.
"It's not ideal losing three wickets in a short time. As everyone is among the runs it's a matter of time for them. At the same time it's a big achievement that despite the absence of Tamim Iqbal, our openers struck hundreds in two consecutive games. But the thing is, despite the hundreds we were unable to score 300 and I am bit concerned about that," he added.