Bangladesh: Tigers who have sharpened their claws

Bangladesh’s career graph is on a hike at the moment, with every match the team is learning and adapting to subtle changes of the game. Earlier, a win was an exception and a defeat was on the cards but this not the case with current Bangladeshi side. The transformation has been tremendous.

After a successful World Cup campaign where they made it to the quarter-finals, Bangladesh stunned the cricket fraternity and  achieved a new height in ODI cricket when they whitewashed Pakistan in a One-Day International (ODI) series at home. To add to their fortunes they also won the only T20 contest of the tour.

In the ongoing ODI contest, Bangladesh have won the series by defeating India in the first two matches. They not only won the first two games but also dominated the strong Indian side. Winning and dominating are two different aspects. With this win they have recorded ten ODI victories on a trot at home. First back to back ODI win against India, also beating them for the first time in a bilateral series. In doing so, they have also qualified for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. It’s a monumental feat for a team that were considered as mere participants in major events.

They got the Indian batsmen over a barrel with their tight line and length. In both the ODIs, Indian batsmen fell victim to their persistence. Their new find Mustafizur Rahman had a dream start to his international career as he became the second bowler in world cricket to have two five-wicket hauls to his name in his first two ODI matches. As it goes with the saying, fortune favours the brave; he also became the first bowler to have clinched 11 wickets in his first two ODI games. Their bowling which once looked vulnerable has now started to inspire confidence. They have a balanced bowling attack with equally effective spinners and pacers. Till very recently, Bangladesh’s strength lied on their spin bowlers but now they have shown the cricket world that they can win games with quality pacers too. In the two ODIs against India, Bangladesh reaped benefits by playing four fast bowlers. They out-batted India too.

Bangladesh as a side, now have all their bases covered and will be a difficult team to beat henceforth. They’ve presented a new brand of cricket. Their momentum is on a rise and are gaining confidence with every outing. It will be interesting to see how long Bangladesh can sustain their dream form, as of now all eyes will be set on the third and final ODI on Wednesday.