1st Test: Bangladesh v Zimbabwe at Dhaka, 8-12 Nov 2001 Shahryar Khan |
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Bangladeshi openers lack flair against Zimbabwean pacers:
Bangladesh 1st innings: |
Travis Friend trapped Al-Sahariar in front of his stumps for 4 when the board showed 6 as a Bangladeshi total. The next ball from Friend disappointed the spectators as Habibul Bashar, the owner of the most half centuries for Bangladesh, tried to drive a rising delivery only to offer a catch to wicket keeper Andy Flower. Bashar was on his stride for a duck during his one-ball stay and Friend was on his hat trick chance. However, the next batsman Aminul Islam sent the first ball he faced to deep fine leg and picked up a single.
While sensible batting was desired from our batsmen and while they desperately needed a partnership to pile up a respectable total, it was Streak to uproot the middle stump of Javed Omar by a vicious Yorker. Javed failed to fend off the hostile delivery and saw his stumps in mess. The side was reeling at 11 for 3.
At 13 Bangladesh lost their fourth wicket, the valuable one of prodigious Mohammed Ashraful. Henry Olonga replaced Friend and saw the success in his first over. Ashraful could not avoid a fast short pitcher from Olonga, which touched his gloves and went to the safe hands of Wishart. The centurion of Colombo, who tackled Murlitharan dexterously there, returned empty handed.
Khaled Mahmood, the debutant, joined Aminul Islam and Friend was brought on at the end where Streak was bowling. This change was welcomed by a boundary, the first one for Bangladesh featured by Aminul Islam at third man. Aminul reached his double figure.
When they were looking set, Mahmood got a nick to Trevor Gripper at third slip and became a catch to prolong the nightmarish beginning. It was Travis Friend’s third removal as he played a splendid job to polish off the Bangladesh top-order. Aminul had nothing but to see a horrendous come-and-go. The scoreboard was showing a meager 30 for the loss of five vital wickets.
The horror continued as Aminul was next to go leaving his side at the brink of utmost disaster. Fearsome Olonga, who gathers pace and bounce from the surface, pitched a quicker one that hit Aminul’s pad in front of his middle stump and the umpire did not hesitate to raise his finger. When Aminul departs with 12 in his bag, Bangladesh put up only 38 on the board.
Our squad saw its lowest total in the second innings of the inaugural Test against India, which was 91. Another one like that was looming at that stage when Khaled Masud came to the crease.
Naimur’s innings came to an end when Travis Friend mauled again, shuttering the Bangladeshi skipper’s off stump in his second spell to have his forth victim in such a short period. Bangladesh was struggling with 49 for seven and new batsman Enamul Haq had little reputation as a batsman.
The succession of quick fall ran in regular intervals and this time Khaled Masud had to go. Friend sent a short pitcher, which kissed Masud’s gloves to the fielder at first slip when the wretched batsman was on the back foot to evade it. Friend got his fifth one; he looked quite unplayable for the Bangladeshi batsmen and bowled superbly using his pace and bounce and also got some substantial movement from this alien track. Bangladesh was down to 56 for 8.
Enamul Haq and young Mashrafe-Bin-Mortaza put up some runs on the board to form a partnership of 28 runs, the highest for today. Before Tea Murphy received a bit of punishment from Enamul Haq, who hit subsequent boundaries in two of his deliveries; the crowd got at least some source to become cheerful. Before Tea Bangladesh was16 runs short of reaching the three-figure landmark.
Though the track at BNS is regarded as a batting paradise, Javed Omar and Al-Sahariar looked uneasy against Heath Streak and Travis Friend. It was expected that Streak would create some problems and he did in his very first over. Streak sent down a short-pitched ball as his first delivery which struck Javed Omar on his gloves. The next five deliveries were right on the off-stump, swinging away from Javed to the keeper.
The first run came from Al-Sahariar’s bat when he gently pushed Travis Friend to midwicket in the sixth over. Al-Sahariar angled Steak down to deep midwicket to get two in the following over.
At lunch, Bangladesh were three for no loss, though, the way Streak and Friend bowled, they could do damage at any moment. Javed remains on nought, and all three runs came from Al-Sahariar’s willow.
Murphy’s decision speaks in his favor as his pacers reeled the Bangladeshi pair at the start. All Bangladesh need is to keep a cool head and bat watchfully and sensibly, leaving the odd ball out side the off stump.
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 08 Nov2001 - 14:39