‘No replacements for the time being'

Bangladesh reinforced an unwanted record in Tests when they were bundled out for 178 on Day 3 in the second innings of the final Test against Sri Lanka in Chattogram on Monday. 

The dismal effort saw the Tigers extend their tally of getting bundled out below 200 to 102 in 276 innings; a percentage of 36. 96 which is the highest amongst teams to have played more than 10 Tests. Only Afghanistan (50%) and Ireland (37.5%) have a higher percentage in this regard but both are yet to play 10 matches in the format.

Zimbabwe comes in second with a percentage of 31.56 as they posted under 200 totals 71 times in 225 innings.

Bangladesh's batting department has blown hot and cold in recent encounters, particularly against oppositions that have been higher in quality than the Tigers. This was their fifth successive under-200 total and left the hosts staring at another likely defeat.  
 

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto's bizarre review on Day 1 of the second Test against Sri Lanka has left everyone baffled.  

In the 44th over of the day, Sri Lanka batter Kusal Mendis, batting on 29, rushed down the wicket to play dead bat at a good length delivery bowled by Taijul Islam.

Following the successful defence, an appeal was made by Shanto from first slip. The Tigers skipper had thought that the ball hit Mendis's pad first and asked Taijul whether that was the case. But Taijul failed to give an affirmation and wicket-keeper Liton Das too couldn't ascertain Shanto. The stump mic, however, picked up Shanto saying confidently that it was a case of the ball brushing the pad first before thumping onto the bat. 

Shanto decided to challenge umpire Rod Tucker's decision of not out with a review but was left disappointed when replays showed that the ball clearly hit the middle of Mendis's bat. Third umpire Chris Gaffney did not even need to go for an Ultraedge check as the ball was so far away from the front pad.

The Lankans were 155 for the loss of one at that stage after which Mendis went on to score 93 while building a 114-run stand with Dimuth Karunaratne, who eventually scored 86. 

Bangladesh have always struggled with determining which decisions to challenge when it comes to using the DRS system. With only three reviews allowed per inning for each side, the Tigers are yet to wrap their heads around the DRS. Previous captains have also struggled with using reviews and there have been several such baffling challenges in the recent past.

"We are not really good with reviews. That's very clear. So far, we have been awful. We have to develop a much better method. That's completely under captain and wicketkeeper. Maybe the point fielder. The one we are using isn't working. I think we are probably emotions rather than fact at the moment. It was straight off the middle of the bat, so it is not a great review. I also don't want people to be afraid to take reviews. We just have to find a better method," Bangladesh bowling coach Andre Adams said after the day's play in his take of the bizarre review.

Marginal calls, full tosses not being put away or the general inconsistency of Bangladesh top-order were all cause for concern in Bangladesh's loss to South Africa in New York in a hard-fought contest on Monday. But the situation would not have gotten so desperate had Bangladesh's key player Shakib Al Hasan left a mark on the game coming in at number four in what was another crucial T20 World Cup game for the Tigers. 

Shakib's stay at the crease lasted just four deliveries before he was holed out at mid-wicket, unable to connect a pull shot against Anrich Nortje. Shakib's soft dismissal saw South Africa back in the hunt.

Naturally, following the game there was scathing criticism regarding Shakib's performances.

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Shakib's last fifty in the format came before the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, during the tri-nation series in New Zealand also involving Pakistan. He has not enjoyed the best of circumstances leading up to this edition. Bar a match-winning bowling performance against Zimbabwe recently, his all-around performances against both Zimbabwe and then in the three-match T20I series against USA in Texas have been missing.

His troubles with the bat have been evident in the two World Cup matches so far. If it was expected that he would take control of the South Africa game, Shakib failed to live up to expectations. Now if Bangladesh are to advance to the next round and trouble opponents in the Super Eight, Shakib's contribution would be crucial.

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Tamim defends Shakib’s place in playing XI

"If he wants to play in front of Towhid Hridoy in the middle order, he has to play with a cooler head and take responsibility. We can see that these are not 200-run wickets, so it becomes easier for an experienced player like Shakib," his mentor Nazmul Abedeen Fahim told The Daily Star.

"If he can control the game, it will be better for everyone since the top-order is not doing well. Of course, you can't match expectations all the time, but you have to do it on and off," added the veteran coach and analyst.

Shakib's bowling has perhaps been a bigger concern. He was Bangladesh's most expensive bowler against Sri Lanka and bowled just one over against the Proteas, the first time in his career that it happened. It also upsets Bangladesh's bowling plan, especially with spin likely to be decisive in the West Indies.

"He has a very important role because there are only two specialist spinners in the side. He has to bowl in Powerplay and if he can't fulfil that, Bangladesh's bowling strategy suffers. At times it's important for spinners to bowl in Powerplay and then also key in middle overs. If he can't bowl, we have to go to Mahmudullah but you can't always expect him to perform even as he [Mahmudullah] did excellently against South Africa," Fahim said about Shakib's bowling.

Shakib now has a chance to make it count on surfaces offered in West Indies and gain momentum against lower-ranked opponents in Netherlands and Nepal.
Fahim expects Shakib -- the leading wicket-taker in the tournament's history but is yet to get a wicket in this edition -- to get more turn.

"Given the immediate oppositions [Netherlands], it should make him comfortable. I am hoping he would do better there since you can't just perform badly all of a sudden. There should not be this drop," he added.

Even as Bangladesh could cover for Shakib with the ball, the top-order troubles mean Shakib -- possessing a wealth of experience in the competition as the only two players alongside India's Rohit Sharma to have played in all editions -- will have to make his experience count and shelter the rest.

Thanks to a brilliant bowling display and an explosive knock from Towhid Hridoy, Bangladesh got off to a winning start in the ongoing T20 World Cup as the Tigers beat Sri Lanka by two wickets in their Group D encounter at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas today.

After Rishad Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman claimed three wickets each to restrict Sri Lanka to 124 for nine, Hridoy smashed a 20-ball 40 and Liton Das played a sensible 38-ball 36-run knock to see Bangladesh over the line in 19 overs. 

However, things got a bit nervy at the end as Bangladesh lost four wickets for just 14 runs, slumping from 99 for four to 113 for eight in 17.4 overs. Pacer Matheesha Pathirana had Shakib Al Hasan caught at third man before Nuwan Thushara got rid of Rishad Hossain and Taskin Ahmed in successive deliveries in the 18th over. 

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Bangladesh did manage to survive and got within just five runs of the target when Mahmudullah Riyad smashed Dasun Shanaka for a maximum in the first ball of the penultimate over. The Tigers got over the line when Mahmudullah ran hard for a double in the final delivery of the 19th over as Bangladesh beat a Test-playing nation for the first time since their six-wicket win over the West Indies in their first-ever T20 World Cup game in 2007. 

Bangladesh also stuttered at the beginning of the chase today, losing both the openers -- Soumya Sarkar (0 off 2) and Tanzid Tamim (3 off 6) -- in the first two overs. Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto also extended his lean patch as he could only manage seven off 13 deliveries before being dismissed off a Nuwan Thushara delivery to see Bangladesh in a spot of bother at three for 28 after 5.2 overs.   

It was Hridoy and Liton who helped Bangladesh recover from the early slump, stitching together a quickfire 63-run fourth-wicket stand. Hridoy was looking unstoppable, with the right-hander smoking Sri Lanka skipper Wanindu Hasaranga for three successive sixes -- two in the midwicket region and one over cover -- in the 12th over. However, Hridoy was trapped in front in the very next delivery as he failed in his attempt to sweep Hasaranga. 

Earlier, Bangladesh bowlers did a magnificent job to restrict Sri Lanka to a modest total following their flying start which saw them score 53 for the loss of two wickets in the Powerplay. Pacers Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur, and young leggie Rishad got wickets at crucial junctures as Sri Lanka could only score 24 runs in the final six overs. 

Rishad returned figures of three for 22 and Taskin ended with two for 25 in his four overs. Mustafizur was the most economical of all, giving away just 17 in his four overs.

Hridoy departs after smashing 40 off 20

Towhid Hridoy's explosive innings of 40 off just 20 deliveries helped Bangladesh recover from a slump and get them closer to victory in their T20 World Cup game at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas today.

Hridoy was looking unstoppable, with the right-hander smoking Sri Lanka skipper Wanindu Hasaranga for three successive sixes -- two in the midwicket region and one over cover -- in the 12th over. However, Hridoy was trapped in front in the very next delivery as he failed in his attempt to sweep Hasaranga. 

Bangladesh were reduced to three for 28 after 5.2 overs, but it was Hridoy and Liton Das who stitched a quickfire 63-run fourth-wicket stand to help Bangladesh get back into the game in stunning fashion.   

Tigers lose openers, skipper early

Bangladesh's top-order struggles continued as the Tigers lost both the openers and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto inside the Powerplay of their T20 World Cup game against Sri Lanka at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas today. 

Dhananjaya de Silva removed Soumya Sarkar for a two-ball duck in just the third ball of the innings before Nuwan Thushara rattled the stumps of Tanzid Tamim in the next over to leave Bangladesh in a spot of bother at two for six after 1.4 overs.  

Bangladesh skipper Shanto failed to snap out of his recent poor run of form as he was the next to fall when he drove a Thushara delivery straight into the hands of Charith Asalanka, who did a good job holding onto the low catch. Shanto departed after a 13-ball 7, leaving Bangladesh desperately in need of a partnership in their chase of a mediocre 125-run target.

Rishad, Fizz star as Tigers bounce back to restrict Sri Lanka to 124

Young leg-spinner Rishad Hossain and ace left-arm paceman Mustafizur Rahman shone with the ball in hand as Bangladesh bowlers did a tremendous job to restrict Sri Lanka to a modest total of 124 for nine following their flying start in a T20 World Cup game at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas today. 

Rishad removed Charith Asalanka and Wanindu Hasaranga in successive deliveries in the 15th over, helping the Tigers assume control of the innings. Rishad got another big fish in Dhananjaya de Silva in the very first ball of his next over as he drew the right-handed batter forward to have him stumped.    

The 21-year-old Rishad, playing his first-ever World Cup game, ended with impressive figures of three for 22 in four overs. 

Taskin, who was also impressive with the ball, made Dasun Shanaka his second victim of the day when he had the batter edge one back to the keeper in the final delivery of the 18th over. Taskin also claimed the wicket of Kusal Mendis earlier and finished with figures of two for 25 in four overs. 

Mustafizur Rahman finished things off nicely, giving just three and also taking the wicket of Maheesh Theekshana in the penultimate over. He was also the most economical, giving away just 17 in his four overs while claiming a total of three wickets as Sri Lanka managed to score just 24 runs in the last six overs.   

However, things were very different in the beginning, with Sri Lanka making 53 for the loss of two wickets in the Powerplay. Nissanka looked the most dangerous, smashing seven fours and a six during his 28-ball 47 which is also the team-high for the Lankans in this game. 

Rishad gets two in two as Tigers bounce back

Bangladesh bowlers managed to take quick wickets and stem the flow of runs following a blistering start by Sri Lanka in their T20 World Cup game at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas today. 

Sri Lanka scored 109 for five after 16 overs.

Leg-spinner Rishad Hossain removed Charith Asalanka and Wanindu Hasaranga in successive deliveries in the 15th over as the Tigers made amends for giving plenty in boundaries in the first 10 overs. While Asalanka was caught at backward square leg as he tried to slog sweep, Sri Lanka skipper Hasaranga was outdone by a brilliant delivery from Rishad, who induced an edge of the batter's willow to have him caught at slip.  

Before that, Mustafizur Rahman removed a dangerous-looking Pathum Nissanka in the ninth over -- caught at cover after the batter mistimed and skied a slower -- and since then the Lankans struggled to score as rapidly as they had done in the beginning.  

Sri Lanka off to flying start despite losing two wickets in Powerplay

Sri Lanka lost two wickets but managed to rack up the runs in the Powerplay as they raced to 53 after six overs in their T20 World Cup game against Bangladesh at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas today.

Mustafizur Rahman had Kamindu Mendis chip one straight to Tanzim Hasan Sakib at mid-off in the very first ball of the final over of the Powerplay while pacer Taskin Ahmed had given the Tigers their first breakthrough with the wicket of Kusal Mendis in the third over. 

However, the wickets did very little to stem the flow of runs, with Sri Lankan batters already hitting a total of nine fours and one maximum. Pathum Nissanka, in particular, has been in exquisite touch, smoking Bangladesh's star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for four boundaries in the fifth over. Nissanka remains unbeaten on 34 off 18 deliveries. 

Taskin removes Mendis to give Tigers early breakthrough

Pacer Taskin Ahmed gave Bangladesh an early breakthrough in their opening T20 World Cup game against Sri Lanka at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas today. 

Having been struck for boundaries in his first two deliveries, Taskin had Sri Lanka opener Kusal Mendis chop one onto his stumps in the very next ball of the third over. Taskin, however, remained expensive as he was hit for another boundary, giving away 12 in his first over. 

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, raced to 25 runs in three overs, with the Lankans' top-order batters not sparing any loose deliveries on top of playing some exquisite shots. 

Photo: X

Bangladesh opt to bowl against Sri Lanka

Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and elected to bowl as the Tigers open their T20 World Cup campaign against Sri Lanka in Dallas today.

"We would like to bowl first as we expect some seam and swing early on," Shanto said following the toss. 

Bangladesh are going with three seamers -- Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Tanzim Hasan Sakib -- with leg-spinner Rishad Hossain and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan the two frontline spinners for the game. Despite being off-colour in white-ball formats for a while, Liton Das gets a nod as he forms the top-order also featuring openers Tanzid Tamim and Soumya Sarkar. 

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka made one change from their opening game, with Dhananjaya de Silva coming in for Sadeera Samarawickrama.

Having featured in all the editions of the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh will be hoping to re-write their records in the ninth edition of the mega event this time around as the Tigers have never progressed beyond the group stage of the tournament. 

The omens, however, have not been inspiring for Bangladesh in their build-up to the tournament. They won a series against Zimbabwe at home but played very poor cricket in that 4-1 victory. Then they suffered a humiliating 2-1 series defeat against associates and co-hosts USA just before the World Cup. 

With a misfiring top order and an overall inconsistent batting line-up, Bangladesh will have their work cut out against the Lankans. This game, however, remains a crucial one for the Tigers as a victory today would go a long way in helping them progress from a group that also includes South Africa, Nepal, and the Netherlands. 

Sri Lanka were bundled out for just 77 and suffered a six-wicket defeat in their first group game against South Africa in New York. The Lankans will be desperate to bounce back to winning ways and better their current net run rate of -1.048.

Playing XIs:

Bangladesh: Tanzid Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das(w), Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Towhid Hridoy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(w), Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Wanindu Hasaranga(c), Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana
 

Sarfraz Ahmed, the Pakistan captain, took the blame for his team's poor show at the Asia Cup, but said that there's time to rebuild the team for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

A convincing eight-wicket win over Hong Kong in the tournament opener suggested Pakistan were going to be a force. But it was followed by an eight-wicket defeat to India, and then, following a last-over win over Afghanistan in the Super Fours, losses to India and Bangladesh. As a result, Pakistan crashed out of the tournament they have won twice in the past.

"Yes, our performance was very poor. Our batting wasn't good, and we dropped a lot of catches. Our bowling was also patchy, and that's the reason we are out of the tournament," accepted Ahmed, who had a poor run with the bat himself, scoring 68 runs in four innings.

"I still believe we have a lot of talented players in the team. Look at Fakhar Zaman. Though he didn't have a good tournament, we have to back him. Babar Azam too. Imam has, thankfully, done well, but there's also Shadab and Hasan. We have to back them and take them along with us. We have to look at our bench too. We have a pool of players, and by the time the World Cup comes, we'll have a good team," said Ahmed.

"The World Cup is quite some time away, we have other engagements before that. Australia are coming, and then there's New Zealand. So we have to review our performance and see where we are falling short.

"We are losing too many wickets early, and the middle order has had to deal with the new ball, which isn't easy, and hitting quickly in the end isn't easy on these pitches. We'll have to get together and fix these issues."

While Ahmed called the performance 'alarming', he added, "There's no need to press the panic button. Yes, we have made mistakes as a team, and as a captain, I know that I didn't do well. But no need to panic, we need to back the players, look at the positions and see if there are people outside the team who can come in."