Published: Mar 20, 2015, 10:23 AM (IST)
Edited: Mar 20, 2015, 10:23 AM (IST)
India ran rings around Bangladesh in the second quarter-final of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). However, Ankur Dhawan strongly feels that Bangladesh should be comfortable in their skin, even after a resounding rout.
It was a momentous occasion at the MCG as the punching bags of World Cricket found their bearings. Although it was Bangladesh’s second round-two qualification in a World Cup, the format this time demanded more consistency from the lower ranked teams, as against that in 2007. The fairy tale, however, collided with reality in the form of a crushing 109-run defeat. Bangladesh made a swift exit: there was no drama, much like the anticlimactic exits of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. It underscores the breaking of magic of unscripted tales that often end on a tragic note. READ: India vs Bangladesh, ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Quarter-Final 2 at Melbourne Highlights
It is unlikely that Bangladesh fancied themselves as serious contenders. But they have achieved what they were there for. It is hard to fault them for their apparent sense of ‘smugness.’ In fact, for one fleeting moment they even got ahead of themselves like over-excited schoolboys, enthused at the possibility of a semi-final berth. Sadly for them, that is when the match truly slipped out of their hands. The fall of Ajinkya Rahane marked the beginning of the end. The irony cannot be overlooked. READ: India vs Bangladesh ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Quarter-final match: India innings highlights
Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina came together like tangible art. They ran Bangladesh ragged, who were hanging on their heels for a good chunk of the fourth-wicket partnership. With the fear of India’s big hitters hovering overhead, Bangladesh was emasculated to puny dwarfs in their own minds, as Rohit and Raina built an innings by rotating the strike and using the massive square boundaries at the MCG to their advantage. That is precisely what separates the men from the boys, the chaff from the wheat; Indians thrive under pressure on the big stage while Bangladesh tend to fall like nine-pins. But you can’t fault them for that, it was their maiden knockout match in a World Cup. READ: 5 memorable shots from Suresh Raina vs Bangladesh in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 quarter-final at Melbourne
Commentators emphasised the need for India to get 300 in order to remain competitive, but the fact that India had bowled out all previous opponents — and most of them under 200 — highlighted the fallacy of that statement. But that’s their job, to keep the viewers interested even during a no-contest. READ: Shikhar Dhawan’s catch and the science behind it
India went past 300 eventually and Bangladesh folded up for 195 in 45 overs. The writing was on the wall from the outset of the run chase. Tamim Iqbal smashed three boundaries of a Mohammed Shami over to have the Indians hopping for cover and the Bangladesh fans chuffed ephemerally. Just as the buzz began in the MCG about a 2007 encore, the facade came crashing down as Iqbal became a victim of his own strength. Lightning struck twice in two balls as a grave misunderstanding between new man Soumya Sarkar and Imrul Kayes led to the demise of the latter in the form of a run out. Bangladesh had almost completely lost their sense of bearing by then. Shakib al Hasan’s measly 10 runs of 33 balls was symptomatic of a team that had resigned to its fate. Full scorecard: India vs Bangladesh ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Quarter-final 2
Yet, Bangladesh must be lauded and not ridiculed for their exit. They defied all odds and a format designed to facilitate only the top eight Test nations. Bangladesh’s qualification in the knockout stage ahead of one of the “big three” of World Cricket should be considered a stepping stone to bigger things. Bangladesh can be proud of the fact that they collectively stepped out of the shadow of Shakib al Hasan. Mahmadullah was one of the top five run-getters during the league stage with two ground-breaking centuries, Soumya Sarkar’s off-side stroke-play vividly brought back memories of a young Sourav Ganguly, and the nascent pace bowling troika of Mashrafe Mortaza, Rubel Hussain and Taskin Ahmed was perhaps the most heartening aspect about their journey to the quarter-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. It marks the beginning of a new era in Bangladesh cricket, which will stand them in good stead, especially when touring outside Asia. READ: Rohit Sharma wanted to make innings count on grand stage during India-Bangladesh ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 quarter-final
Fans must not be miffed at their departure, for it was anything but premature. Bangladesh exceeded expectations in alien conditions (considering that they seldom tour Australia). The news of protests breaking out in Dhaka — a backlash to a couple of marginal decisions that went against Bangladesh — is vaguely reminiscent of India during the 1990s. The burden of unrealistic expectations from home fans, who turn amiable or hostile at the turn of a match, was responsible for consistently weighing down a talented but unfinished product that India were at the time. Bangladesh find themselves in the same boat, but one hopes against hope that Dhaka’s raw cricket buffs will see reason and understand that the country’s anticlimactic exit ought to be celebrated. READ: India vs Bangladesh, ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 quarter-final: Dhaka witnesses protests against “biased umpiring”
(Ankur Dhawan is a reporter with CricketCountry. Heavily influenced by dystopian novels, he naturally has about 59 conspiracy theories for every moment in the game of cricket. On finding a direct link between his head and the tip of his fingers, he also writes about it)
