By Dr. V.V. Giri
To the delirium of a nation and the despair of England's increasingly grumpy cricketers, Bangladesh conjured a famous victory that throws Group B wide open yet again.
One day, they lose the match to Ireland. Next day they chase 330 plus runs and ‘tie’ the game against India. They beat the strong South African side in a low scoring match, next match they succumb to one of the weakest side, Bangladesh. That’s English team for you.
The players are very inconsistent and erratic in nature. There is no game plan and the batsmen play irresponsible shots at wrong time and get out. The bowlers bowl without discipline and they always bowl against the field set by their captain.
In the five matches they played so far, they have dropped countless catches, conceded abnormal wide balls and sometimes they played like a school team. They can’t blame anyone else for their misery.
A breathtaking ninth-wicket partnership between Mahmudullah, the coolest man in Chittagong on Friday night, and Shafiul Islam, bold and nerveless in a crisis, saw Bangladesh home. They added 58 to snatch back a game that the home side had dominated for most of the day, but that seemed to be lurching back towards England when Bangladesh lost five wickets for 14 runs in mid‑innings.
Even so England, having lost the toss, had only themselves to blame. For periods they fought tenaciously in the field, where they were compelled to defend an inadequate total of 225. Ajmal Shahzad popped up everywhere, bowling a poor first spell, running out Imrul Kayes with a brilliant throw, then producing three superb deliveries to right-handed batsmen. At least he was not lacking energy; nor was Eoin Morgan, England's savior when they were batting. It may be no coincidence that England's liveliest players were not much involved in the Ashes campaign.
England was at their most capricious here. In the field their ill-temper was reflected by Swann, snatching his cap from the umpire Daryl Harper, after remonstrating with the Australian on several occasions. It was not Harper's fault that Swann was compelled to bowl with a wet ball.
It may be a nonsense that one side is able to bowl with a dry ball and the other with a wet one in a contest of this importance. But the financial lure of floodlit cricket far exceeds any urge for a fair contest in the minds of the modern cricket administrator.
The English team, which has played all but one of their group matches, now stares at a must-win situation against the West Indies who have six points with one more match in hand against India.
In case of Bangladesh, though they have one point less (4) than England, their chances for a quarterfinal spot look brighter with two matches in hand against the Netherlands and South Africa. This means that Bangladesh can go past England on points if they manage to beat the Dutch and England lose to the Windies.
That in all probability will bring the curtains down on England's World Cup dream.
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