Bangladesh have been on a mission over the past month to reverse a long-standing trend of left-arm spinners leading their bowling. Two beanpole quicks are at the forefront of that change of baton – Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana. They arrived on these shores on the back of sensational performances against Pakistan, but India could be a daunting destination even for the more experienced. But on the opening day of the first Test against India here on Thursday, Mahmud (4/58) and Rana (1/80) justified the hype around them, in rather contrasting fashion.
Mahmud has a lively pace but relies more on an exemplary seam position and other variations to make an impact, while Rana is the battering ram, looking to unsettle the batters with his sheer pace.
This was evident from their approach in Chepauk.
But Mahmud was more successful on the day, taking four wickets – Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant – a list that is still a dream even for the more established names.
Rana occasionally riled up the Indians. He chased Yashasvi Jaiswal with a 148 kmph corker, forcing the opener to drive it to the cordon.
But this quiet revolution in Bangladesh cricket is more carefully planned than organic.
“Look at Nahid and Mahmud, we have been trying to find genuine fast bowlers for a while. I don't want to belittle spinners, they have done a great job for our country.
“But if you want to become a successful cricketing nation across the world, you need world-class fast bowlers like we have in England or Australia,” Alamgir Kabir, a former Bangladesh pacer who is a mentor to both Mahmud and Rana, told PTI.
Kabir stressed the role of a robust grassroots system in Bangladesh in this new rise of quality pacesetters.
“I won't call it perfect or anything, but we have a strong grassroots system where coaches and talent spotters are dedicated to what they do. There are a lot of talented kids in Bangladesh playing tape-ball and tennis-ball cricket who need the right kind of encouragement at the right time.
“Take the case of Nahid, he comes from tape ball cricket. I found him and took him to my academy to give training. It's like polishing a diamond,” said Kabir, who is now a coach at Clemons Cricket Academy in Dhaka.
But Sridharan Sriram, the former Indian batsman who previously coached Bangladesh, had a warning for the beginners.
“They are certainly talented and are doing well at the moment. But the challenge for them is to sustain this journey and grow in the role. It is not easy. Hopefully, they get the right advice and support,” Sriram told PTI.
Sriram was also impressed with Mahmud's performance.
“Four wickets… yes, he did well. He showed good insight to utilise the favourable conditions in the morning. I haven't worked with them much but this Bangladesh team seems to be a good mix of youth and experience. Hopefully the young cricketers can stay on course,” Sriram said.
Kabir has no doubt that these young players have a strong focus.
“They are all very motivated. Recently there was some unrest in the country and these children were playing cricket in Pakistan.
“Of course they were worried but they showed good maturity to focus on cricket as soon as they stepped on the field and after the match they will call and ask for updates (on the turbulence). The result is there for everyone to see – a 2-0 win over Pakistan,” he added.
Bangladesh's pacers have also been fortunate enough to come under the tutelage of the great South African Allan Donald and former West Indian pacer Otis Gibson.
They opened up a whole new perspective on bowling, especially pace bowling, for budding bowlers from Bangladesh.
“Look, I think Mashrafe (Mortaza) was the first pacer of any repute to come out of Bangladesh, then Taskin (Ahmed) came after that. But now we have a good group – Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain etc., who will take our bowling forward,” Kabir said.
But the emergence of this new generation of pacers is gradually changing the image of the bowling club in Bangladesh.
Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha explained.
“The point of difference is the fear factor. When a bowler is hitting 150 km/h, it is human (to get scared).
“We have a certain reaction time. So it challenges your reaction time and decision making. You can bring that fear factor into the opposition,” Hathurusingha said.
The changes are underway and Bangladesh must ensure that they continue to operate.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is published via a syndicated feed.)
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