Pune: For India captain Rohit Sharma, Bangladesh-plus-World Cup means a century. He has two against them in World Cups – 104 (92) and 137 (126) – with 132 of those runs coming in boundaries. The conditions at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium – small boundaries, true surface, ball coming onto the bat – will put more pressure on the Bangladesh bowlers, who aren’t having the best of tournaments. Yet, all the commotion and grumbling in Bangladesh is about their batsmen, notably their shaky top order.
Historically, Bangladesh cricket is a bubble in which the conversations and concerns aren’t always in sync with the world outside. Lenient towards their bowlers, Bangladesh set a high bar for their batsmen. Like any self-respecting populace of the subcontinent, a daily dose of disses – some deserving, others dramatic – gets directed at the Bangladesh batsmen from the fans, the super-fans and intermittently the ever-frenzied press.
Opener Litton Das might not have caught the attention of the neutrals at this World Cup but on Planet Bangladesh Cricket, he is getting all the headlines. After his first-ball dismissal in Chennai – the futile attempt to hit Kiwi spearhead Trent Boult for six ending disastrously – he had a target drawn on his back.
In Pune, for the next game, an eager media group focused their cameras on him at the team hotel and Das got cranky. He ran to the hotel security demanding to know what the press pack was doing there. The mediapersons were flabbergasted and made it known. A Facebook apology followed.
Things had thawed post the social media sorry. But the disenchantment over Bangla batting as a whole finds outlets in loud outbursts. Like one of the super-fans – they wear the Tiger headgear and paint their body in stripes – and his impromptu roar when standing outside the MCA stadium waiting to be let in: “Hatao Hathuri, Bachao Bangla cricket.”
The subject of his disaffection is coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who was recalled for a second stint in 2023 after a successful one some years ago. The super-fan reckons the head coach was responsible for leaving out veteran opener Tamim Iqbal. At this World Cup, every batting stutter sees the Tamim-pining bubble over to the brim.
Leading by example
Captain Shakib al Hasan, 36, battler and battered by ravages of time, is mostly respected for being at the top of his all-rounder game. He continues to contribute with bat and ball, stays sharp tactically and bowls in the Powerplay. His evergreen form draws comparisons with Virat Kohli, and gets called the heartbeat of the nation or Bangladesh jaan.
“He’s still very hungry to do well for the team. And his ability to perform under pressure, with both bat and ball is inspiring. He knows his strengths, trains smart and is aware of the mental needs of the game,” gushes Bangladesh senior media manager Rabeed Imam.
Shakib practised on Tuesday, jogged and batted with Hathurusingha himself supervising. But with scans lined up, there were questions over his availability until the morning of the game.
For a while now, Bangladesh are keen to dislodge Pakistan from the perch of the subcontinent’s top rivalry against
India. While contests haven’t been exactly one-sided, Bangladesh are not quite able to drum up the dread or historical anxiety that India’s western neighbours evoke.
No one quite buys it, when superfans – there are five of them in Pune, capable of creating quite a racket – talk of ‘India-Bangladesh being the new derby.’ They are disappointed to hear they aren’t Enemy No.1 yet, but proceed to clicking mobile pictures with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, whom they quite adore.
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“Let Rohit score a century, but Bangladesh should win,” Tiger Shoyab Ali says, before narrating how Rohit got out of his vehicle to greet him at exactly 2.40 pm in Pune.
India’s intimidating batting order has compelled Hathurusingha to bolster his attack by adding another bowler to the line-up, with left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed most likely to come in place of a batsman. The coach called the Pune pitch the best batting wicket he had seen in the tournament, adding, “India’s batting order is scary the way they have been playing without fear.”
On Planet Bangladesh, Litton & Co might be tiptoeing around the pack, while gulping at the prospect of Bumrah & Siraj fetching up after Reece Topley and Boult – with Kagiso Rabada to follow. But on Thursday, it’s the Indian batsmen who are threatening to thunder down on Bangladesh’s bowlers.
