It wasn't impossible..

[Baundule]

Originally Posted by DJ Sahastra
It was definitely not impossible but also not as simple as the stats that you present.

The very thing that brought the team to 113 needed in 40 overs was the very thing that ensured that team had lost all the wickets before those 40 overs. You can't have it both ways.

Well done Rahim and well played BD. Team India will have lots to reflect on, especially on their bowling.

Have to agree with this. After India scoring 400+. we had no chance. We misssed our opportunity in the first innings.

It looks like an improved performance; but at the end of the day, it is the same old story. It has happened many times before that after a terrible first innings, our batsmen have gone in the 6-a-side mood to score score 300+ runs. It looks like a 'shommanjonok' defeat; but the end result is, it is a 'defeat' and there is nothing to be proud of, because it was not how to to play test matches in the first place.

The motto of a test match in such situation should have been 'draw first' and going for the win only if we needed something like 150 in 30 overs having at least 8 wickets at hand. What we did is just throwing our wickets away, as usual. Test cricket is all about patience and frustrating the opponents. We failed to do that miserably.

[Naimul_Hd]

Originally Posted by arsenalsri
ICC doesn't plan it. Its the BCB that needs to plan it. They need to arrange bi-lateral tours with other countries. The ICC's FTP is a joke. Hardly anybody cares about it.

cant agree more ! But you know, BCB has very limited power in terms of negotiating with other Boards. Where every cricket board is afraid of BCCI, BCB is nothing. for example, BCCI wanted to have some test matches, so they called up SA board, and they had nothing but to agree with BCCI !

[Alien]

End of the day I look at our performance curve. Yes we still suffer the same amount of defeat with endless excuses but what differs from the past is that the defeats arent as spectacular as they once were.

It shows that the team has really improved in terms of consistency. I guess BD is not the team to improve in a short span of time but I guess in next 15 years, we will be in the same league as other teams.

[_Rafi_]

Originally Posted by Surfer
Isn't it the same old story? So close yet so far! That's been Bangladesh's story for sometime.

in test it is not familiar story. We were expecting a humiliation by India who is in the best form ever.

[_Rafi_]

Originally Posted by asddsa
this is what happens if you play test match after each 6 months in the year. Had Bangladesh played couple more Test matches in recent times after WI tour, then i am sure, Bangladesh would have been in better place in this match. If ICC plans that Bangladesh will play only 3-4 test matches in a year then you cant blame Bangladeshi players for not showing proper mentality.

We cant blame Bangladesh but we can blame bd cricket authority? What is done by BCB for preparation for these test? They arrange DPL T20 and 50 over match. Why not they arranged first class match before the tournament? We cant solely depend on international match.

[arsenalsri]

Originally Posted by Alien
End of the day I look at our performance curve. Yes we still suffer the same amount of defeat with endless excuses but what differs from the past is that the defeats arent as spectacular as they once were.

It shows that the team has really improved in terms of consistency. I guess BD is not the team to improve in a short span of time but I guess in next 15 years, we will be in the same league as other teams.

The other teams will also improve over the next 15 years. So Bangladesh in the next decade will have to progress faster than it did in the last decade. Bangladesh's target right now should be achieving the 4-6 ranking in Tests. They will only do it by winning tests.

In the Bangladesh teams of the last decade there would be one or two good player and mostly mediocre players. I mean for a long time most people outside Bangladesh didnt know anybody other then Ashraful. This current group of players I think will change that. Shakib, Tamim, Rahman, Riyad, Shadat, Mashrafe, Ashraful - this should be the core nucleus of the team for the next 5 years and other players will come and go. If this talented bunch of players keep playing together and keep performing consistently over the next few years Bangladesh will be more and more succesful. They shouldn't be distracted by IPL or T20 in general, their focus has got to be Bangladesh and doing well for Bangladesh. If they are successful here the IPL and everythign thing else will come to them automatically.

cant agree more ! But you know, BCB has very limited power in terms of negotiating with other Boards. Where every cricket board is afraid of BCCI, BCB is nothing. for example, BCCI wanted to have some test matches, so they called up SA board, and they had nothing but to agree with BCCI !

South Africa were going to be playing 5 one days India, the BCCI asked it to be changed to 3 one day and 2 tests. BCB doesn't need BCCI's permission to invite other countries - Pakistan, NZ, WI etc. Anyway atleast these year you guys are playing 7 tests, which is more than what India is playing.

[Gowza]

definitely not good having a 6 month break, and one test against NZ just doesn't seem right, they should at least be playing 2 tests.

[zainab]

Originally Posted by arsenalsri
ICC doesn't plan it. Its the BCB that needs to plan it. They need to arrange bi-lateral tours with other countries. The ICC's FTP is a joke. Hardly anybody cares about it.

The ICC FTP is controlled by Australia, England and India with Australia and England playing twice as many test matches as other countries.
Each test nation should play a minimum of 6 to 8 test matches per year. Hopefully, this year BD is playing 7,all within the first half of this year. What happens in the second half? BCB should arrange some 4 day tours with other countries, so that these boys get the practise playing in the longer format.

[nsd3]

I would not give credit to Batsmen in general. Mushfiq, Riad were good. I'd point finger on SN, Imrul, Rakib, and Ashraful - don't they understand what they are responsible for when they play in those positions in the batting order?

[nsd3]

Originally Posted by zainab
The ICC FTP is controlled by Australia, England and India with Australia and England playing twice as many test matches as other countries.
Each test nation should play a minimum of 6 to 8 test matches per year. Hopefully, this year BD is playing 7,all within the first half of this year. What happens in the second half? BCB should arrange some 4 day tours with other countries, so that these boys get the practise playing in the longer format.

Totally agree with the point.

[simon]

Ya,I hink we could have won it too.
We lost by 113 runs.
I think if we had 2 more 50's it was quit possible.
Raqib,Imrul,Sakib,Ash,Ryad,SN none of them got a 50 & 3 of them scored below 20.
Hope we get more from these btsmen in future.

[al Furqaan]

Originally Posted by DJ Sahastra
Al Furqaan,

The psychology is not that simple. A different mental game ensues the moment a team has a realistic and pratcical chance of chasing a win. Not taking anything way from brilliant batting by the BD lower order (and i am beginning to admire them way more than anything else), but even 50 runs needed off 10 overs with 3 wickets remaining is a different proposition in Test matches. Slowing down the batting team is not that difficult in Tests if you no longer want to take wickets. By the time Rahim started to accelerate, he practically had nothing at stake. If he was the difference between winning and losing, he would be much more wary of the same shots that he could play with disdain when he knew that he will no longer be held responsible for a defeat. That is what pressure is all about.

thats true, which is why they may or may not have made it...even if we were 250-5 or 280-5 at tea instead of 313 all out.

but point is that a run rate of 4-4.5 could easily have been maintained without playing risky shots. rahim's innings is an example. there were very risky strokes played if any in his entire innings (the one which sailed a couple yards above the keepers gloves is a rare exception), yet he scored at close to a run a ball. there were a lot smart twos and singles in there.

an innings similar to gambhir's would have done the job...now all the batsman are capable of doing that. in fact, nudging the ball around is easier than playing fancy strokes to the fence. but it requires temperement and patience, you will have to play out a maiden here and there. block the good balls and send the rest to the gaps. this is where the implementation comes into play.

[Neel Here]

an innings similar to gambhir's would have done the job...now all the batsman are capable of doing that.

no they are not. otherwise all would have had gambhir like records

in fact, nudging the ball around is easier than playing fancy strokes to the fence. but it requires temperement and patience,

that is unfortunately the difficult part ! it is temperament and patience that makes all the difference between a good batsman and a great batsman.