Back from the dead

Tailenders Shafiul and Mahmudullah revive Bangladeshs Cup campaign as Tigers beat England by 2-wkts.

As Graeme Swann prepared to bowl the 42nd over of the Bangladesh innings,his last of the day,the mass exodus at the exit doors had intensified. In his previous over,Swann had reduced Bangladesh to 169/8,and even the most optimistic fan didn8217;t expect to see their team go past England8217;s total of 225. The general consensus around the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium was that the only thing the two tailenders at the crease Shafiul Islam and Mahmudullah could do was enhance Swann8217;s figures of 9-1-26-2.

Contrary to the common perception,the England offie finished the day with figures of 10-1-42-2. And it was that one over that changed it all.

It started with Mahmudullah hitting a reverse-swept boundary and Shafiul following it up with a four and a six,that last shot against the final ball of the offies quota. Suddenly the turnstiles were empty and the seats started to get re-occupied. Fingers were crossed and the fans looked skywards hoping for a miracle. With the asking rate dropping from 6.1 to 4.7,Bangladesh8217;s dream of reaching the quarter-final was alive.

With 39 to win from 48 balls,Shafiul and Mahmudullah now started to take measured steps towards the target. The next four overs didn8217;t witness a single lofty stroke,but the score was kept ticking because of smart batting and sharp running between the wickets. It was only when they sighted the finish line did the two sprint on the home stretch. And when Mahmudullah,the wily off spinner,hit the winning boundary,the fans brought the roof down,followed closely by a victorious Bangladesh team taking a winning lap around the circumference.

It was grand finish to a chase that started in great style. Openers Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes didn8217;t show restraint during their a 52-run opening stand. After the initial flourish,Kayes settled to play the anchor8217;s role. He was to finish with a flawless 60 from 100 balls. A unfortunate run out ended his 72-run association with skipper Shakib Al Hasan 32.

But because of that early impetus,Bangladesh8217;s chase was still on track,until England pacer Ajmal Shahzad struck thrice to derail both the hosts and their crazy spectators. Bowling at a lively pace,he swung the ball in and moved it away off the pitch to make life difficult for the Bangladesh middle-order. And it was only after he finished his spell that Bangladesh could even think of planning a late assault one that both the English and the Bangladeshis will not forget for a long time to come. From a healthy start to their campaign,Andrew Strauss and Co have ensured that Team England have gotten into a do-or-die situation during their match against the West Indies. If that clash is anything like the five tight finishes that England have had,it will be a match to watch out for,just like Friday.

After Shakib Al Hasan won the toss,yet again,he put the opposition in to bat,yet again. Strauss and wicketkeeper Matt Prior who opened instead of the injured Kevin Pietersen were having it easy as the pacers were not able to get purchase from the pitch. But that8217;s when Shakib threw the ball to left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak. His first ball saw Prior stumped,thanks to the alertness and wit of his counterpart,Mushfiqur Rahim.

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Razzak was joined by fellow left-armer Shakib and off-spinner Naeem Islam to tie the English batsmen in knots. It is no surprise that spinners were to be Bangladesh8217;s strength in this World Cup and the fact that they have taken 15 of the 23 wickets that the team has scalped in the four games just proves it.

Amongst Razzak,Naeem and Shakib,the trio took seven England wickets,while also managing to restrict the flow of runs with each dismissal. It was only because of a 109-run stand between Eoin Morgan,who replaced Pietersen in the squad,and Jonathan Trott that helped England reach a respectable total of 225. But those 225 runs ensured that both the Bangladeshi players and their staunch fans oscillated from defeat to success.