If ever there was proof needed that Bangladesh need a new skipper, it was provided when Habibul Bashar opted to field after winning the toss. There was no cricketing reason that one can think of for him doing so, for the pitch was flat, and even if there was a bit of cloud cover, his new-ball bowlers were hardly the type who could move the ball in that kind of weather. Bashar will no doubt get bashed by the media after India finished the first day without losing a wicket, but don’t forget that he would have got advice in the dressing-room too, and it brings forth the next question, as to what kind of tactical advice Bangladesh get. It’s quite apparent that Bangladesh’s limited success in one-day cricket and that too in the World Cup is largely a matter of a good team playing them having a bad day, rather than any special thing that Bangladesh has done. If eyes aren’t opened after this, then we are a myopic nation.
There was nothing whatsoever in the pitch to help the bowlers, and so it was a matter of playing oneself in, and that’s what Jaffer did this time around. He is the kind of batsman who will make up for an earlier poor outing by hitting a big one, and once he gets going, it’s tough to stop him, and Bangladesh hardly have the variety to trouble him or for that matter, classier players like Dravid and Tendulkar. Jaffer got a century and then the heat got to him and he had to retire as Karthik had done earlier after raising a 100-plus opening partnership. The way Dravid is batting, and with Tendulkar also keen to make hay while the sun shines, it is doubtful if Karthik will get the chance to resume his innings, and bat and get to his first Test century. Playing in this kind of weather is certainly not a great idea, and no wonder that players are suffering from cramps and dehydration, causing them to retire. That they are also vomiting and throwing up is an indication of the heat and humidity that’s there in this part of the world, and serious thought must be given to playing cricket in this kind of weather.
Dravid is a fitness fanatic, but even he would be feeling the heat. Having missed out on a ton in the first Test, and now coming in to bat after rest and recovery overnight, it won’t be a surprise if he makes a real big one, but also it won’t be a surprise if even someone as fit and run-hungry as him does not find the reserves of energy to play a long innings.
Tendulkar has just come in to bat and so he will be fresher than most. Whether Jaffer or Karthik will resume if a wicket falls remains to be seen, but the Indians may not want to bat again in this game and may look to pile up a huge total and then enforce the follow-on.
They have to keep the weather in mind, for with rains around the corner, so to speak, they also need to give themselves enough time to bowl Bangladesh out twice in the game. That may be asking too much of their bowlers, if they have to bowl in consecutive innings after enforcing the follow-on, but maybe, we are going too far ahead of the story.
Hopefully for Bangladesh, the ending of the story will be better than the start, wherein their think-tank let the team and country down with their incredible decision to ask India to bat after winning the toss.
