My only fear is...

[Zeeshan]

What if Mushfiq scores another double hundred tomorrow?

[meazz1]

what if hell freezes over?
I will take that any day not because Mushy scores a double, I will be happy that the middle order will provide support for him.

[al Furqaan]

I'll be surprised if he doesn't score a ton. He's been operating on a different batting plane the past 2 yrs.

[Zeeshan]

The Declaration

If I were Mushfiqur Rahim I would call my team mates and some newly made Caribbean confidantes, gather around, light up the bong and make the perfect plan:

Strange things have happened in cricket. Once Hassett declared 32/7 in the second innings of the Ashes for Australia giving the tourists a total of 193 runs to chase. England would fail to do.

Wisden describes the ending beautifully here:

A lightning yorker by Lindwall wrecked Simpson's wicket with the first ball of the innings. There followed half an hour of sound defence by Washbrook and Dewes. Each left within a few minutes of the other, but England's most crushing blow that evening occurred in the last ten minutes when three wickets were lost. Anxiety caused at least two of these dismissals, McIntyre, for example, being run out trying a fourth run when preservation of wickets was of paramount importance. Wicket-keeper Tallon ran ten to fifteen yards before catching bad throw-in and, with his gloved hand, hurling down the wicket.

The score would read 0 for 1, 16 for 2 and at every regular intervention wickets would fall in spite of a Hutton's undefeated 62.

So what can possibly be a stronger message sent to the opposition? Why of course! Declare when the lead is at 8 ex oficio, give them target of 9 runs to win and as they hit two back to back sixes Mushfiqur still carry on with Tajiul and Shuvogato. Assisted with the cracks in the pitch of fifth day, and going for loose deliveries, all would then
collapse like sitting ducks for a tied test. So both teams would get some humble lessons so as not to be complacent to the other (first) and not to be too cocky (Bangladesh).

How is that for sending a message not-withholding the fact that we are still under bong haze?

_________________________________________

Snap back to reality. Cricket, like chess, although can be taken to fantasy land is not played that way however. It is won in increments. Subtle nuances and nuance after nuances.. Or as Chinese call it 'Shu shu'. Actually - not. But there is a Chinese word for thought after thought after thought...

But that's not the point.

Point is Mushfiqur and Nasir needs to go out there and stay there with the intention of batting all day long. That would be valiant at this stage. Day 1: Meh, West Indies took it

Day 2: They definitely took it with as was Day 3 with Braithwaite double ton.

Now although it would be the case that they definitely took Day 4 with enforcing the follow on but the defiant 130 run partnership stubbornly gave the Windies their Caribbean cruise chink for a full wreck. Should they carry on to bat the whole day, milestones will take care of themselves, but the grit and determination will prove a rare example of temperament that was void for a while.

Cricket, at this juncture, at this eve, is nicely poised, and test cricket has never been the best for Bangladesh.

[Vua]

I thought you were gonna say ..

"My only fear is .. that I might be a girl."


Damn! Way to ruin the morning. Thoroughly disappointed

[Roni_uk]

My fear is ... I can't figure out a decent run lead based on which we should declare tomorrow

[simon]

my only fear is whether we will get 46 runs. :/