Home ›› 18 May 2022 ›› Sport
A synergic performance from both the experienced and younger cricketers delivered a day to remember after a long time as Bangladesh finished the third day of the Chattogram Test on 318-3 against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
Bangladesh are only 79 runs behind Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 397, with two unbeaten batsmen, Mushfiqur Rahim (53*) and Liton Das (54*), reaching half-centuries.
The last two Tests Bangladesh played before engaging with Sri Lanka were full of unpleasant memories as the Tigers struggled to negotiate spinners on foreign soil and got all out for 54 and 80 in the two Tests at Durban and Port Elizabeth.
The batting performance at Chattogram surely will help the players to erase those horrific memories and gain confidence as most of the batsmen managed to get some healthy scores besides their names on the scorecard.
Mahmudul Hasan Joy got a pair in Port Elizabeth but found his third fifty-plus score in Test cricket. He was out for 58, but most importantly, batted for a little more than three hours to put a record opening stand of 168 runs against Sri Lanka.
Joy, playing just his fifth Test, formed a steady partnership with Tamim Iqbal, one of the most senior players on the side. This was the third time both were sent to open the innings, but this was the first time they could form a partnership as Joy was out for a duck on both occasions.
Tamim, experienced constant change at the other end as Bangladesh team management tried many options, and finally after five years, Bangladesh saw an opening stand of three figures in Tests.
“Joy batted beautifully. Opening the batting is not an easy job. The job they did yesterday set them up for today (Tuesday). Yesterday (Monday) was very tough after almost two days of fielding in very, very hot conditions. They were none for 75 yesterday (Monday) and then continued today,” batting coach Jamie Siddons said about them after the match.
“They haven’t had too many bats together. Tamim was very disciplined. Joy just did his job of taking on the new ball and put a partnership together with Tamim,” said the Australian in the post-match press conference at ZACS.
Mushfiq and Liton are also heading towards a century partnership. They are just two runs short, and Jamie thinks that these two will carry their innings forward in the coming morning.
“I am always hopeful that we will put a score on the board. Mushi and Litton are on their way to doing it. Liton scores quite quickly. We told Mushi to knock the bails off (at the end of the day’s play), and he did exactly what we asked for,” Siddons told the reporters.
The batting coach feels that good performances can erase the trauma, which the players suffered in South Africa.
“I think all the players just tried to rebuild their confidence. South Africa was pretty devastating, to be bowled out for 53 and 80. Then they had to front up against a really good bowling attack. I didn’t have much to do with them apart from the last two weeks. Touching on little things but nothing more than building them up, talking to them about the discipline they need to play Test cricket. That’s what they showed so far,” Siddons said on Tuesday.
A much-improved batting performance has made Siddons hopeful about a positive result, but for that Bangladesh must show a disciplined batting performance on day four.
“I think if we can bat the day tomorrow, and then try to bowl them out in a day, that’ll be a very good effort. Whatever we can get. If they serve up some bad bowling, and if we go on the attack. We need another 70 runs to get a lead. We have some more talented batters still to come,” said the batting coach.
