Another horrible batting performance left Bangladesh on the backfoot straightaway in the first day of the second and final Test match at Eden Gardens against host India Friday.
The Tigers were all out for just 106 runs, and survived only 30.3 overs against the Indian bowling lineup, surrendering meekly in the historic day-night Test, and the first pink ball Test for both the countries.
It was a relatively good wicket to bat on as there was not much grass on the pitch.
Stand-in Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque elected to bat first, which raised a eyebrows owing to their debacle in the first Test at Holkar Stadium in Indore.
Bangladesh had also batted first in the Indore Test, only to get all out for just 150 having played 58.3 overs.
But this time around, the Tigers were folded in just 30.3 overs in their first innings.
Considering a few facts, this particular decision raised questions as to whether Bangladesh could have fielded first.
For starters, this is a pink-ball Test and both teams are unsure about the nature of the SG pink ball.
To add to that, Bangladesh batsmen are low on confidence after their poor batting performance in both innings of the Indore Test.
Another thing is that the Indian pacers are in great form and have what it takes to be dangerous with the pink ball because no batsman in the Bangladesh line-up has the experience of playing with a pink ball.
@BCBtigers wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das and off-spinner Nayeem Hasan have both been ruled out of the rest of the Kolkata Test match, as they were diagnosed with delayed onset of concussion.https://t.co/PIwSeEtiKA#BCBTIGERS #BCB #TIGERS #BANGLADESHCRICKET #BANGLADESH #CRICKET
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) November 22, 2019
Keeping in mind all these factors, if the Bangladesh batsmen had the chance to observe how the ball behaves in the first innings, then they might have had some ideas.
And after being dismissed in just 30.3 overs, naturally it can come to mind that it would have been better for Bangladesh to bowl first.
But to be honest, even after taking first guard, there is no concrete excuse for getting bundled out in just 30.3 overs in a Test, even while playing with the pink ball.
It was just the day one pitch at Eden and there was no uneven bounce.
It was not like the Indore pitch either, where Indian pacers got a lot of help from the wicket.
Once again however, Bangladesh’s batting failed big time, exhibiting a humiliating performance in the longest format.
Experienced opener Imrul Kayes came up short yet again, scoring only four, and failed to make a half-century for the 25th Test innings in succession.
In the absence of Tamim Iqbal in this series, Imrul was supposed to be the anchorman in charge of carrying the innings, but he has now failed to make any impact whatsoever in three consecutive innings.
To make things worse, Bangladesh were under further pressure when Mominul got out without troubling the scorers.
Bangladesh team management sent Mohammad Mithun to bat at No 4 once again but he fared little better, lasting only two deliveries at the middle.
There is no doubt that @BCBtigers did not bat well enough in their first innings of the second Test in the series against @BCCI, Tigers head coach Russell Domingo has said.https://t.co/74N744NojX#BCBTIGERS #BCB #TIGERS #BANGLADESH #CRICKET #BANGLADESHCRICKET #BCCI #INDIATEAM
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) November 22, 2019
It was a good length delivery form Umesh Yadav and Mithun tried to defend it without any feet movement, and ended up losing his stumps.
That raised the question again, why exactly did Mithun bat at No 4 instead of Mushfiqur Rahim?
Earlier, Mushfiq informed that he will not do wicket-keeping duties in Tests to focus more on his batting.
He batted at No 5 when he kept wickets, and even after leaving the wicket-keeping duty, he is still batting at No 5!
After the Indore Test, Mominul repeatedly said it was the “team management’s” decision to send Mithun at four and Mushfiq at five.
In the second Test also, Mithun was asked to bat at No 4 so the question remains, just what exactly is the “team management” thinking?
Why are they persisting with someone at No 4 who has played only six Tests, and averages only 20 with just one half-century, as opposed to Mushfiq, who is often considered the most technical batsman of the side, with the experience of 69 Tests and average of 34.47?
Moving on, Bangladesh fielded two concussion substitutes in the first innings as both Liton Das and Nayeem Hasan made way for Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam respectively.
It was a like-for-like substitution as Miraz later batted in place of Liton while Taijul bowled instead of Nayeem.
Two substitutions in the first innings exposed another worry for Bangladesh.
@BCBtigers have been forced into two concussion substitutions on the first day of the pink-ball Test match against host @BCCI, as the visiting side were bowled out for a paltry 106 in their first innings.https://t.co/86sP3fSsOH#BCBTIGERS #BCB #TIGERS #BANGLADESHCRICKET #CRICKET
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) November 22, 2019
They looked like running out of players!
Bangladesh announced a 16-man squad for the India Tests.
Before the Test series, batsman Mosaddek Hossain returned to Bangladesh for personal reasons and it was expected that he would come back before the first Test.
But it did not happen and Bangladesh Cricket Board did not name his replacement.
Just before the Kolkata Test, rookie opening batsman Saif Hasan was ruled out to injury and his replacement was not named either.
And in the second Test on day one, both Liton and Nayeem have now been ruled out so among 16 players of the squad, four are now unavailable with Mustafizur Rahman the only option left as a substitute.
It’s a strange situation for Bangladesh, and an even stranger one for the BCB, who hasn’t declared any replacements for Mosaddek, or for that matter Nayeem.
Going back to January 2017, Bangladesh team faced some difficulties while playing the second Test against New Zealand as quite a few players got injured in the first Test.
But the match was played in New Zealand and sending an immediate replacement could have proven to be difficult.
But this time though, Bangladesh are playing in Kolkata, which is only an hour’s flight from capital Dhaka, and the Tigers team management had plenty of days to name a replacement for Mosaddek.
In a shambolic display of batting, @BCBtigers were bowled out for just 106 runs in their first innings, while host @BCCI have already taken a 68-run lead after scoring 174/3 on day one of the Eden Gardens Test match Friday.https://t.co/tzHaXxPBf1#BCBTIGERS #BCB #TIGERS #INDIA
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) November 22, 2019
But they didn’t bother to think about it, and now, they are suffering.
Imagine if one or more players get injured in the second innings, what will happen?
In the end, it was another shambolic batting performance from Bangladesh.
The pitch was not “unplayable” at all.
Yes, Indian pacers bowled well with good line and length and managed to produce some swing, but that was certainly not devastating enough for Bangladesh to get bowled out in 30.3 overs in the first day of a Test!
It was just a lack of application, hunger and temperament from the Bangladesh batsmen, which paved the way for another humiliating batting performance.
Even the local crowd at Eden seemed disappointed after seeing their counterparts’ performance.
This Test created much hype and according to media reports, all the tickets for day three and four have been sold out.
If Bangladesh batsmen do not produce any magical performance in the second innings, it could turn out to be another three-day Test, just like the Indore Test.
Disappointing for the crowds who have bought tickets, isn’t it?
Such performance from Bangladesh nakedly exposed why a few cricket nations don’t give Bangladesh a three-Test series, or don’t want to invite the Tigers for Tests.
Even after 20 years of Test cricket and playing more than 100 Test matches, if Bangladesh continue to surrender in such meek fashion within just three days on a regular basis, then such thoughts can’t be justified as “illogical”.
2nd Test, Day 1
BANGLADESH 1ST INNINGS R B
Shadman c Saha b Yadav 29 52
Kayes lbw b Ishant 4 15
Mominul c Rohit b Yadav 0 7
Mithun b Yadav 0 2
Mushfiq b Shami 0 4
Mahmudullah c Saha b Ishant 6 21
Liton retired hurt 24 27
Nayeem b Ishant 19 28
Ebadat b Ishant 1 7
Miraz c Pujara b Ishant 8 13
Al-Amin not out 1 4
Jayed c Pujara b Shami 0 3
Extras (b8, lb6) 14
Total (30.3 overs) 106
Fall Of Wickets
1-15 (Imrul), 2-17 (Mominul), 3-17 (Mithun), 4-26 (Mushfiq), 5-38 (Shadman), 6-60 (Mahmudullah), 7-82 (Ebadat), 8-98 (Miraz), 9-105 (Nayeem), 10-106 (Jayed)
Bowling
Ishant 12-4-22-5, Yadav 7-2-29-3, Shami 10.3-2-36-2, Jadeja 1-0-5-0
INDIA 1ST INNINGS R B
Agarwal c sub (Miraz) b Al-Amin 14 21
Sharma lbw b Ebadat 21 35
Pujara c Shadman b Ebadat 55 105
Kohli not out 59 93
Rahane not out 23 22
Extras (lb 1, w 1) 2
Total (46 Overs) 174/3
Fall Of Wickets
1-26 (Mayank), 2-43 (Rohit), 3-137 (Pujara)
Bowling
Al-Amin 14-3-49-1, Jayed 12-3-40-0, Ebadat 12-1-61-2
India lead by 68 runs
