Pacers excel but remain untested at the death

Bangladesh pacers put up a revelling display as they spearheaded the team's second-ever ODI series win over Sri Lanka with a four-wicket win in the series-deciding third match in Chattogram on Monday.

The four frontline pacers – Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and Mustafizur Rahman – accounted for 19 of the 27 wickets the Tigers took in the three-match series and even Soumya Sarker, a part-time pace option, managed to bag one.

Taskin ended the series as the highest wicket-taker with eight scalps and Shoriful picked up five in three outings each, Sakib had four to his name in two games while Mustafizur scalped two in his only match.

In the series, the pacers excelled in the first two phases of the innings – the first and second Powerplays - and this success shielded them from getting tested in the most happening phase of play, aka the death overs.

This aspect of their skillset was one of the major shortcomings behind a string of lacklustre displays in the 2023 ODI World Cup where the pace unit failed miserably to keep a lid on things and looked out of ideas in the final phase of the innings when faced against higher quality oppositions.

The Lankans failed to build a platform to launch in the first ODI as they posted 255 and were not required to go hard at the bowlers in the second match where they had to chase down 286, courtesy of a masterful 185-run stand between Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka.

The third match went the same as the first as only Janith Liyanage could muster up some fight as he carried his side to 235 with his maiden ton.

WHAT THE PACERS DID RIGHT

Taskin, Shoriful and Sakib stuck to their strengths in the series as they persevered on Test-match lines and lengths and used what came naturally to them.

Taskin used the new ball to great effect, especially in the third ODI. He got it to move in the air and at times off the pitch.

Shoriful has been Bangladesh's most improved bowler across formats and since adding the ability to swing the ball back into the right-handers, he has been very difficult to play against.

The left-arm pacer's biggest weapon in the latter part of the innings is how he can mix up lengths, going short or full or hitting it on a hard length, to keep the batters guessing. But that was not as prevalent in the Sri Lanka series as he was seen persevering on outside the off-stump corridor, typical Test-match bowling.

Meanwhile, Sakib was able to solve the middle-overs problem for the Tigers in the first ODI when the hosts were under the cosh after an unproductive first Powerplay.

A four-over burst saw him shape the ball towards the batters and then nip it away off the pitch, a strength he can use to wreak havoc on a good day. His ability to maintain the tightest of corridors outside the off-stump and then nip it either way off the surface made him standout in the ODI opener.

In the third ODI, Mustafizur had to play Sakib's role in the middle-overs, as the young pacer was out with a hamstring injury.

Mustafizur did a commendable job, consistently pitching the ball back of a length and extracting enough movement off the surface to scalp two wickets from outside edges to the keeper.

Overall, it was a series where the Bangladesh pacers had their confidence boosted with reliance on their abilities reinforced.

However, it would be wiser of them to not let the success get to their heads considering they were never in a situation where their Achilles heel was exposed.