DHAKA: Bangladesh made history on Sunday night when they beat India by six wickets in Dhaka. It was their first-ever bilateral series win over their neighbours and their 10th ODI win on the trot on home soil.
Since their exploits in the World Cup, everyone has kept a beady eye on Bangladesh. World Cups often bring out the best in teams, and the underdogs often perform way beyond expectations, but this time was different for Bangladesh.
Their World Cup performance was no fluke, as they showed when they whitewashed Pakistan in the series preceding the one against India.
Now, with a series victory over India in the bag, too, there can be no doubt that Bangladesh have found a brand of cricket that suits them well. It’s a fearless brand, which can sometimes be a little bit careless, but Bangladesh’s approach of not taking themselves too seriously has paid off.
The new players who have been brought in for the series against India performed exceptionally well. Most notably, Mustafizur Rahman became the first player ever to take 11 wickets in his first ODIs. Rahman is only 19 years old and caught the selector's eye when he tried out at a fast bowling camp in 2012.
For a country that does not really produce quick bowlers, Mustafizur has been a revelation. The fact that rookies can come into the team and perform with such ease speaks volumes to how far Bangladesh has come as a team.
There is still one ODI left against India, and this will be Bangladesh’s real test. They cannot afford to rest on their laurels. The core of this team will, most likely, be the team Bangladesh take to the 2017 Champions Trophy in England and Wales, and getting into winning habits now will go a long way in helping them perform well in that tournament. They secured qualification for the event with the series victory, and now it’s about building from this foundation.
Bangladesh’s slow but steady rise underscores what can happen when a side is given time to develop. They are still a long way off in Tests and, despite having an overall poor record in one-day internationals, their newfound vigour and victories prove that there is a reason for cricket to continue developing.
This kind of improvement will also mount a case for teams like Ireland, Afghanistan and other associates to play more one-day internationals against Test-playing nations. Despite the fact that the door is all but closed for associate teams at the next World Cup, teams still have a chance to improve their game and earn some revenue from taking part in bilateral series.
It has taken Bangladesh decades to get here and they have succeeded in spite of the system that bogs down teams’ progress, but with smaller teams working together and arranging for regular tours, their progress will steadily improve, too.
Bangladesh’s next challenge is against South Africa. The Proteas will be without key players AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander, so Bangladesh have to believe that they at least have a chance.
They have played just 14 ODIs against South Africa and have beaten them just once, but high on confidence and with a group of players eager to prove a point, you never know what might happen.
Source: bleacherreport.com
BDST: 1128 HRS, JUN 22, 2015
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