The absence of positive intent can make a good team look a lot less competitive than it is. This was never more evident in the ICC Cricket World Cup than when Bangladesh let themselves as well as their fans down with a tepid approach to a match that could have helped them stem the rash of losses and stay in the race – even with only an outside chance – for a place in the semifinals.
As the Netherlands redefined Dutch Courage with their fightback – first through Wesley Barresi and then Scott Edwards, the skipper, as well as Sybrand Engelbrecht – before Paul van Meekeren’s four-wicket haul left Bangladesh shell-shocked at Eden Gardens, it was easy to appreciate the fierce intent that drove them and wonder why the team from across the border lacked it.
Understandably, it is tough to define a lack of intent, but the closest that one can perhaps get to that is by recalling that final over of the Netherlands’ innings. It was bowled, not by paceman Taskin Ahmed who had figures of two for 43 from nine overs, but by Mahedi Hasan, the off-spinner who had conceded 23 in his six overs until then.
With nothing to lose, Logan van Beek waded into Mahedi with the delight of a child ripping the wrapper off a precious gift. Van Beek, with a pedigree that he traces back to his grandfather who played eight Tests for the West Indies and New Zealand in the 1950s, picked up 17 runs. It made sure that the Netherlands would go into the break with the momentum.
However, more than the blazing attack launched by van Beek to see the Netherlands past the 225 mark, what sticks in my mind is the image of Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s captain, staying rooted to his spot at extra-cover in the midst of the most expensive over of the match. Two fielders ran in from point and cover to have a word with Mahedi, but Shakib was unmoved.
This was a Bangladesh squad that was unrecognisable from some of their predecessors, who had harried the best of opposition, snapping at their heels. For a team that should have been keen on making its maiden appearance ar Eden Gardens a memorable one, they did precious little to back that desire after getting on top of the Netherlands in the first 15 overs.
Bangladesh fluffed catches – Edwards was given an extended stay, dropped twice in an over before he had opened his account – and the Netherlands battled back from 63 for four and 107 for five to 229 in their 50 overs. Even as the Dutch found their mojo, Bangladesh were running out of gas and flat on the field.
Indeed, the contrast was too stark to ignore. If the Netherlands were driven by a raging desire to show that the victory over South Africa was no flash in the pan, by securing a second win against a Test-playing side, Bangladesh were shackled by an inability to crank up the intensity and push for the two points at stake in the match.
On a track on which the Dutch bowlers extracted some bounce, the Bangladesh batters gave Edwards some catching practice behind the stumps. The pitch demanded Test-cricket temperament, but Bangladesh came to the park with an approach that was apt for a Twenty20 contest. The lower order seemed unaware that glory-or-bust batting was fraught with risk.
After six matches, Bangladesh have only two points from a victory over Afghanistan. They have been outplayed by telling margins in the five games by England, New Zealand, India, South Africa and the Netherlands. That they did not run any of these opponents close is reflective of the batters not being able to fire as well as they can.
With matches against Pakistan (Kolkata, October 31), Sri Lanka (Delhi, November 6) and Australia (Pune, November 11) remaining, they are staring at a rather forgettable World Cup. Worse, they seems to have no clue on what needs to be done in order to head home after salvaging some pride. The moot question is: Do the Bangladesh players collectively want it enough?
It can be said without fear of contradiction that Bangladesh have not harnessed the power of intent. Chandika Hathurasingha, the chief coach, and Shakib have their task cut out in defining it for themselves and the others in the team so that the team can make up in some way to the legions of disappointed fans.
There can be no doubt that the batters will have to put their hands up and be counted if the team want to start that process when they square off against Pakistan. They have to rediscover the spine for intense battle and the temperament that can keep Bangladesh away from the wooden spoon at the end of the league stage.