[Article]: 'One down, Bangladesh strikes!'

[Zeeshan]

'One down, Bangladesh strikes'

Zeeshan Mahmud


'One down, Bangladesh strikes!' It has a certain vibe to it. It sends down psychological fear and chills down spine of opponents. 0-1, the asymmetrical score has certain aesthetic to it. Zero runs on board, and a wicket has already fallen.

Most often than not the obverse has been the case. Bangladesh found themselves tangled up in all sorts of problem where nought for three is not so unfamiliar. Chaminda Vaas World Cup hat-trick and the recently concluded Test against Zimbabwe when team was three down for zero are two such prime examples.

Since the inception of Bangladesh into cricketing arena, they have been at the brunt of attacks and bludgeonings , litany of humiliations, lampoons in terms of records, losing streaks and of course, their trademark collapses of lineup that fades away dimly like astral dust.
However a moment comes in a bowler's career when all his acumen and tradecraft honed over the years culminates to a point - that defining cusp of the universe- when the known laws of physics break down, and that's when the paranormal begins.

A supernova of explosion. A burst of creative energy. And - stumps rattled. These are the tales of those explosive moments which have been horrific for opponents. Bangladesh shone, be it for milliseconds, to rock the opposition.

A. Gurusinha 0 c. Aminul Islam b. Saiful Islam

An earlier victim was Asanka Gurusinha. Perhaps his first name encapsulates the forthcoming. The second match of Pepsi Asia cup was played at Sharjah. I wasn't at the stadium, but for those few Bangladeshis present there on 6 March, 1995 it must have been a sight to behold.

Imagine the likes of Jayasuria, Aravinda da Silva, Mahanama and Ranatunga playing against Bangladesh and then...out of nowhere - comes Saiful Islam to dismiss Gurusinha for duck. I can easily concoct a false visual memory of an entire nation exploding looking at this vignette. Sri Lankan players mentioned at this time were like cogs and wheels of a bulldozer. They were taking the world by storm and then this happens. Of course Sri Lanka would rebound strongly with a Jayasuria 50 to win by 107 runs. But hey, the deed has been done.

Senanayaka 0 c. Akram Khan b. Gholam Nousher

Rewind back to Asia Cup about four years ago. It's the eve of 1991; victory month for Bangladesh. Third match of the tournament being held at Calcutta. One cannot be blamed for not remembering this match. But ask Gholam Nousher. Surely he must! For it is another of those rare occasion when a Bangladeshi would take a prize scalp of a heavyweight with the score reading... nought for one.

And this time? It's Bangladesh on top.

Patterson 0 lbw b. Hasibul Hossain

His nickname is Shanto, which in Bangla means the 'quiet one'. But this man was anything but shy in the very first over of '99 World Cup match against Scotland.This same match Khaled Masud pilot would return to pavilion for a duck facing only 9 balls. Bangladesh would post a modest 185 which they would go on to defend. However, the icing of the match must have been when Shanto removed Patterson for a duck as the scorecard would read 0 for 1. Subtle, soft, and a silencer. The best would be saved for last when later on in the tournament Bangladesh would defeat Pakistan.

Wasim Jaffer 0 b. Mashrafe Mortaza
Wasim Jaffer 0 c. Habibul Bashar b. Shahadat Hossin

It's a day Jaffer would love to forget for he bagged a pair in the first Test on May 2007. Mashrafe's delivery is every fast bowler's delight, more so because it happened on the first ball of a Test match.That too bowled. And Bangladesh would draw the match.

Poonia 0 c. Aftab Ahmed b. Mashrafe Mortaza

Given a target of 279 runs to fetch, Scotland would easily succumb to pressure losing Poonia for a duck in the second ball. Mashrafe would strike again on the fourth one of the over to remove Brown. This time bowled. Bangladesh would go on to win convincingly by 146 runs.


Cricket is a funny game they say. There are times when a player would be a crowned man-of-the-match from a losing side. There are awards for spirit-of-the-game. Now although these vignettes have not been match winning per se, they are etched forever in fans' and bowlers' mind alike, because just for a brief second, they give the sublime insight of what a person is capable of summoning when the time is ripe.

And one such showdown was the ICC Trophy Final between Kenya and Bangladesh in 1997. As millions patiently waited for the match to start, they would not be disappointed. Dressed in white after a smooth flowing run up with brisk hair Saiful Islam would bowl the fourth ball. The ball did not appear to pitch fast but it was deadly accurate. A thwack followed by a banana split of two stumps falling in opposite directions. The familiar death knell.

Bangladesh would then be part of the elite nations after winning the match despite a Kenyan century.

That was the inception. Now that is something you don't see quite often!