Mushfiqur deflects and reflects

After that chastening 333-run defeat against South Africa at Potchefstroom on Sunday, Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim took the trouble of reflecting on that loss as well as the thinking behind some questionable decisions by the team management that added to their misery.

At a press briefing after the game he rightly said that they failed collectively.

“It is disappointing. I don't remember the last time we batted like this or were out for under a hundred,” the Bangladesh captain said about the batting in the second innings where they were bowled out for 90, their second sub-100 total for over ten years. 

He was more critical of his bowling unit.

“Even I could have bowled two balls out of six in the right place. The bowlers disappointed me a lot in the first innings,” he said bitterly.

His fury is justified. On a wicket atypical of South Africa and typically sub-continental, Bangladesh's second-innings debacle is inexplicable. They were expected to battle for at least two sessions on the fifth and final day but crumbled even before the morning dew evaporated.

The bowling, apart from left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman, was not only ordinary but also lacked the necessary discipline. Mushfiqur's frustration was so intense that he questioned the lack of understanding of his bowling unit on how to bowl on a flat wicket. “I don't believe our bowlers can't bowl on a flat wicket. At least they could have bowled in the right areas, if not take wickets. This skill gets you to play for the national team.”

It is always welcomed when the skipper speaks his mind. It drives the team to correct the mistakes. But as a true leader of the team it is also expected that Mushfiqur accepts his own mistakes rather than being diplomatic.

His decision to field surprised all and sundry but when asked what prompted him to take the decision he said:  “All of us took the decision. None of us knew about this sort of wicket in South Africa.”

This statement suggested that either he wanted to disown it or he was only a mere part of it. Had it been an imposing leader, who is not afraid of taking a mistake on the chin, he would have said: “The decision was as baffling as the wicket was”.

Mushfiqur has never been witty or as assertive as his batting when it comes to marshalling his troops on the field. He also came up with an excuse regarding the decision to bowl first that needed special attention.

“On any flat wicket, the help for the bowlers comes within the first two hours. If you think about what will happen in the fourth innings and then get bowled out for 100 in the first innings, it becomes difficult,” the captain said.

This particular statement portrays a 'fear factor' that has been a part of Bangladesh ever since their humble journey to the Test arena 17 years ago.

It suggests that the decision to field first was driven by the fact that they were afraid of batting first no matter what the wicket was. If it is the case, then they better not play Test cricket. If you are afraid of surviving the first hour on a placid wicket, how can you expect to play on any given day of a Test match against the new ball?

The most successful Test teams in the world have lived up to one motto: bat first and put the pressure on the opposition right from the word go. There has always been an exception, but Potchefstroom, even if there is overnight rain and the wicket is green, can never be a bowl first decision for any captain who wants to take the challenge and win games.

The Bangladesh team management, driven by that premeditated decision, made a few more mistakes that included packing the attack with pacers when they should have included a left-arm spinner against so many right-handers on a slow turning wicket. Besides, the decision to pick Taskin Ahmed and Shafiul Islam ahead of Subhashis Roy and Rubel Hossain was more emotionally driven than logical.

The second Test in Bloemfontein starts in five days' time and the wicket will be not as kind. It will definitely offer pace and bounce, which many feel will be a worry for Bangladesh.

But to be honest it is not the pace and bounce that the Tigers manfully thwarted in Wellington that is cause for concern, but that self-imposed defensive mindset that they need to overcome.