Imrul can't catch a break

Things have not been so great for Imrul Kayes of late. He picked up an injury while batting well in Wellington in January, and an aggravation of that injury kept him out of Bangladesh's maiden Test in India in February. While he was away, Soumya Sarkar usurped his opening position with a good performance in India and twin 50s in Galle. Then, late Wednesday evening, he must have thought that his comeback was doomed when he was dealt a painful blow on his toe while fielding at short leg. He hobbled off the field, but was back on the field yesterday morning, but not in the high-risk short-leg position.

Soon, however, he bit the bullet, put on the lid and crouched in position, probably thinking that he couldn't possibly be so unlucky to be hit again. But in the 111th over, tailender Lakshan Sandaka of all people, whipped a ball off his pads and struck Imrul just where the shin guard gave way to flesh. Maybe that is when he thought 'the gods must be crazy', and followed the example set by the deities when he batted.

Hattricks don't bother Shakib

Imrul, after getting a life on 25, was not satisfied with his slice of fortune. With less than four overs to go he tried to pull a ball not short enough from Sandakan, a bowler whose googlies Bangladesh's batsmen cannot read to save their lives, and was trapped in front. Nightwatchman Taijul Islam was trapped in front off the next ball, and Shakib Al Hasan strode out to face the hattrick ball. He can't read Sandakan, as proved by his dismissals in Galle, and hit the hattrick ball, on one knee, with a horizontal bat to the midwicket boundary.

That set the tone and Shakib went on to prove, in the short time that he had, that neither hattrick balls nor match situations bother him. That he survived the eight balls he faced was probably not part of the plan.