The One That Got Away

[aklemalp]

England needed 21 runs off 21 balls with four wickets in hand to win the series. The chase was in their hands. Woakes had just smacked a four to take the required rate to a run a ball. At this point, captain Mashrafe Mortaza saw an opportunity and placed Imrul Kayes in the first slip region, hoping that a wicket would come.

Taskin Ahmed, with the ball in his hand, in the middle of his 9th over, was getting ready to steam in after conceding the boundary. This is how commentary from a prominent cricket website described the next ball:

46.4 Taskin Ahmed to Woakes, no run, dropped! Is that the series, there and then?! Mashrafe brought the slip into place, and Imrul got the chance that his country needed. But he muffed it! Chest height, and eminently catchable.

Reactions from near and far, those at the ground, and the millions of us glued to our screens were shocked at this…'What have you done Imrul?! That was a catchable ball.' It was the one that got away. A microcosm of the series in that brief instantaneous moment in time.

The reaction from Kayes was solemn; he stayed aloof from glaring, unfriendly eyes. It was as if he wasn't there on the ground and not knowing what he had done. Under a pressure situation which he was under, one of two things can happen, either catch the ball in a clutch moment or drop it like some anchor. Handling pressure is essential. It is mental and psychological. This was a major game changer, perhaps the final nail in the coffin for an unprecedented series triumph over the English team.

We can call Kayes the black sheep in this match if we want to. Heck, there are many black sheep to be found when a game is lost. In the recent past, there was the SLA Mosharraf Hossain, the keeper Mushfiqur, even Shafiul. There’s a trend to all of this. There will always be a Black Sheep. It arises from not being clutch enough…hanging by a thread and waiting for it to snap, instead of making an attempt to claw one's self back up. This mentality is not acceptable.

Bangladesh's unbeaten streak of series wins at home(dating back to December 2014) ended with a six off the penultimate ball of the 48th over. It was a good streak while it lasted...Mustafizur, Sarkar against Pakistan, the leadership of Mashrafe...the rise up in the ODI rankings.

Ranking points were at stake and it evidently got away from Bangladesh's grasp. During most of this series, it appeared as though the team was playing for something much more important than rankings: That infamous celebration in the 2nd match revealed what it was, Bragging rights.

Fans at the stadium, dejected at Bangladesh's attempt to defend 277 were already heading for the exits when England's target was not even under a hundred. There was a prolonged moment of silence. The DJ's charisma also left the ground, he was a prime example of how pressure can deflate one's psyche.

In retrospect, Bangladesh lost this series in the first match. The manner in which they gave their wickets away, submitting to the English. It was amateurish. The mentality of the team as a whole is that of the Black Sheep- which has overstayed its welcome.

[weekyd]

Even if he held on to the catch, wouldn't have made a huge difference. Probably would have created a little bit more pressure for England. Judging by their batting depth they were gonna hit the finishing line anyway. It could have been an interesting end losing their 7th wicket. Would have given us some hope but not the series.

[aklemalp]

Originally Posted by weekyd
Even if he held on to the catch, wouldn't have made a huge difference. Probably would have created a little bit more pressure for England. Judging by their batting depth they were gonna hit the finishing line anyway. It could have been an interesting end losing their 7th wicket. Would have given us some hope but not the series.

Read the last sentence

[rezwansyed]

You never know...maybe if that catch was not dropped, the momentum of the game may have swung our way...still it's unacceptable to drop such easy catches in such moments. If I'm not wrong I've seen Kayes to drop catches in the first slip in such situation more than once in the past. It's in your blood if you can handle nerves in pressure situations. It can't be taught or trained. Either you have cold nerves, you have it, if not, you don't.

[Mas_UK25]

This series that England got lucky. I was going to open a thread on this ... Then I saw this thread. Which could relate to meaning, England got away with it, escaped a series loss.


Here's why:
In the first game BD needing 35 runs off 52balls? 6 wickets in hand. Unbelievable collapse gifted England a win from nowhere. 2nd game BD were better team and won deserved despite a mini collapse. 3rd ODI England won the lucky toss for the 3rd gaming running and batted first and won the game with massive dew coming on when BD bowling to them. And it was turning square bowling first. If the 3rd game was a Day Game BD wins.

So 1st odi collapse and the 3rd ODI dew, batting first 3rd game. Gifted them. England the ODI series.

Wish it was 5match.

[Rinathq]

on a bigger picture, team combination wasnt right. They wont one game and lost one with this 8 Batsmen combination. It doesnt work like that. Specially when your best wicket taker is not playing. If Mustafiz played, You could possibly go with one less bowler. But with your best bowler down, your highest wicket taker in recent times out of the squad, your x factor bowler returning from a remodeled option, going with a weaker bowling option was stupid!

[Eshen]

This series again showed, right now, we are the worst chokers in world cricket. Even Mash can't change that.

[aklemalp]

What got away this series:

1-First ODI 'choke'
2-Mosharraf
3-No-wicket-shakib in the decider
4-Streak of series wins
5-The rain for the last ODI
6-etc.

[MHRAM]

We lost the match because we were not reading the pitch properly once again. Historically ZACS is heavily biased towards the spinners. England bowling proved that.

Unfortunately, we had to go with a spin attack where we have too many darters and no genuine offie. I had asked for Miraz but selectors didn't feel he was needed.

[Shingara]

Engaldn 9 number porjonto batting kortey parey. Eshob 46th over er kahini boila laav nai.

[NoName]

A fielder like Kayes shouldn't be nowhere near the slips

[aklemalp]

There's a reason he's called KaEdge

[22Yards]

I am actually wondering if kayes, ever, hold on to a slip catch. Yet he is always placed at the slips.

[Zeeshan]

Love the title. Not only it refers to the catch, but the series that got away.

[Sylheti_Beta]

Being adept at giving away so many edges in the past, he should have had the ability to predict them by now. Making it all the more unbearable for us to stomach this defeat.

[Rifat]

Originally Posted by 22Yards
I am actually wondering if kayes, ever, hold on to a slip catch. Yet he is always placed at the slips.

Kayes had always taken tough chances at slips in the past...He is a specialist slip fielder but that time he failed.

[Saifulsohel]

Originally Posted by Rifat
Kayes had always taken tough chances at slips in the past...He is a specialist slip fielder but that time he failed.

I forgot when he took even an easy one.

[Purbasha T]

Kayes took one off James Taylor in the WC '15 England game

Even Ramiz Raza approved: "Imrul Kayes takes a good one, it was a sharp chance..."

[Zeeshan]

Now in FP!

The One That Got Away
Parmanand Singh

England needed 21 runs off 21 balls with four wickets in hand to win the series. The chase was in their hands. Woakes had just smacked a four to take the required rate to a run a ball. At this point, captain Mashrafe Mortaza saw an opportunity and placed Imrul Kayes in the first slip region, hoping that a wicket would come. Unfortunately for Bangladesh it wasn't to be the seventh straight series win on the cards. Parmanand Singh analyses what went wrong.

Read article »

[MHRAM]

He also missed Shehjad's catch in first ODI vs Afghans